00:19:19 – Ben gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the June/July 2015 Rebirth launch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 6/15 – NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #21 – What do you get when you mix the deadly Suicide Squad with the Fist of Cain killer cult and Rose Tattoo, the resurrected goddess of murder? A very, very bad day for Amanda Waller.

]]>Welcome to the final?!?! episode of Wildstorm Addiction, our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Midnighter #11 and #12 for April and May 2016. Continue reading →Welcome to the final?!?! episode of Wildstorm Addiction, our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Midnighter #11 and #12 for April and May 2016. Continue reading →Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean32:24It Figures!http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2016/04/it-figures/
Sat, 23 Apr 2016 12:20:18 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3863Continue reading →]]>We’ve joked around here several times about the upcoming Google Music Podcast service. It was announced last fall and we’ve been signed up for it ever since they started taking in applications and we weren’t quite sure it’d ever actually open up to the public.

Well it would figure that this past week it has officially launched and now we are staring down the barrel of another lapse in Wildstorm related titles, characters, or any resemblance of the universe of days past. As 3-PO would say, “this is our lot in life!” He’d also say something like, “we’re doomed!” But I wasn’t quite going that far just yet.

Joe and I will be wrapping up the podcast in May with issues 11 & 12 of Midnighter and it’s up to DC whether we’ll ever be back. It’s unfortunate that our busy lives with families, work, and other commitments won’t allow us to dive into the back bins and re-review the classic tales of Wildstorm’s amazing launch in the early 90’s. It’s up to DC if we’ll ever be back recording again, but we’ve seen how they’ve cared for those assets in the recent past.

00:02:53 – Joe covers an epic listener mail this month with a new convert to Wildstorm, Grifter specifically.

00:11:50 – Joe reviews Midnighter #9, released on February 3rd, written by Steve Orlando with art by Aco, cover by Carlo Pagulayan and Jason Paz. A much better review from our friend at Retcon Punch: http://retcon-punch.com/2016/02/08/midnighter-9/

00:16:45 – Ben reviews Midnighter #10, released on March 2nd, written by Steve Orlando with art by Hugo Petrus and Aco, cover by Aco and Ramulo Farajdo, Jr. A much better review from our friend at Retcon Punch: http://retcon-punch.com/2016/03/07/midnighter-10/

00:22:19 – Ben gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU June 2015 relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 2/24 – GRAYSON #17 – Wildcats cover!?!?! Nope, but lots of Grifter and Tao!

For the weeks of 3/9 , 3/16 , and 3/23 – Batman and Robin Eternal #23, #24, #25 has many Midnighter appearances.

For the week of 3/23 – GRAYSON #18 – The Syndicate with Grifter and Tao seek out Grayson and the Tiger.

For the week of 4/06 – MIDNIGHTER #11 – At last, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Apollo returns! Midnighter’s caught in the crossfire between the Suicide Squad and Spyral—now he must team up with his ex to stop Henry Bendix from creating a monster!

For the week of 5/04 – MIDNIGHTER #12 – Midnighter, Apollo and the Suicide Squad square off against The Unified—one of Henry Bendix’s most dangerous creations! Is their combined strength enough to stop a being as powerful as Superman and as intelligent as Midnighter? [LAST ISSUE!?!?!]

00:00:38 – Joe continues with the obligatory spoiler alerts warning for the issue being reviewed along with some news just kidding). No listener mail this month. Joe introduces our special guests for the month, Spencer Irwin and Mark Mitchell from Retcon-Punch.com!

00:04:52 – Ben “reviews” Midnighter #8, released on January 6th, written by Steve Orlando with art by David Messina and Gaetano Carlucci, cover by ACO and Romulo Fajardo Jr.

00:18:25 – Joe weights in on Midnighter #8 and how it can get some much needed traction in readership.

00:21:06 – Joe gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU June 2015 relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 2/03 – MIDNIGHTER #9 – Spyral wants the deadly Perdition Pistol back—so they turn to the only man who stands a chance of recovering it: Midnighter! The only problem is who has possession of it now…the near-unbeatable Suicide Squad!

For the week of 3/02 – MIDNIGHTER #10 – It’s Midnighter versus the Suicide Squad, round two—unfortunately, Parasite came very, very prepared! Have they found a way to set a trap from which Midnighter can’t think his way out?

For the week of 4/06 – MIDNIGHTER #11 – At last, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Apollo returns! Midnighter’s caught in the crossfire between the Suicide Squad and Spyral—now he must team up with his ex to stop Henry Bendix from creating a monster!

00:00:38 – Ben continues with the obligatory spoiler alerts warning for the issue being reviewed along with some news just kidding). No listener mail this month.

00:02:12 – Joe “reviews” Midnighter #7, released on December 2nd, written by Steve Orlando with art by ACO and Hugo Petrus, cover by ACO and Romulo Fajardo Jr.

00:14:50 – Ben gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU June 2015 relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 1/06 – MIDNIGHTER #8 – As he recovers from an assault that hit him harder than he ever could have imagined, Midnighter finds himself back in the sights of Spyral…but this time, they want him on their side!

For the week of 2/03 – MIDNIGHTER #9 – Spyral wants the deadly Perdition Pistol back—so they turn to the only man who stands a chance of recovering it: Midnighter! The only problem is who has possession of it now…the near-unbeatable Suicide Squad!

For the week of 3/02 – MIDNIGHTER #10 – It’s Midnighter versus the Suicide Squad, round two—unfortunately, Parasite came very, very prepared! Have they found a way to set a trap from which Midnighter can’t think his way out?

00:00:01 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #53 and gives the obligatory spoiler alerts warning for the issue being reviewed.

00:00:35 – Ben continues with some quotes from one panel that Steve Orlando was on at the NYCC New York Comic Con. No listener mail this month.

00:05:42 – Joe “reviews” Midnighter #5, released on October 7th, written by Steve Orlando with art by Stephen Mooney, cover by ACO and Romulo Fajardo Jr.

00:08:19 – Ben “reviews” Midnighter #6, released on November 4th, written by Steve Orlando with art by ACO, cover by ACO and Romulo Fajardo Jr.

00:18:03 – Joe gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU June 2015 relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 12/02 – MIDNIGHTER #7 – The mastermind behind the theft of the God Garden’s technology is finally unveiled…and Midnighter never could have guessed the ultimate goal of the heist!

For the week of 1/06 – MIDNIGHTER #8 – As he recovers from an assault that hit him harder than he ever could have imagined, Midnighter finds himself back in the sights of Spyral…but this time, they want him on their side!

For the week of 2/03 – MIDNIGHTER #9 – Spyral wants the deadly Perdition Pistol back—so they turn to the only man who stands a chance of recovering it: Midnighter! The only problem is who has possession of it now…the near-unbeatable Suicide Squad!

00:00:01 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #52 and gives the obligatory spoiler alerts warning for the issue being reviewed.

00:00:35 – Joe continues with no “news” and addresses some fresh listener mail.

00:01:07 – Ben reviews Midnighter #4, released on September 2nd, written by Steve Orlando with art by Stephen Mooney, cover by ACO and color credit by Romulo Fajardo Jr.

00:19:29 – Joe gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU June 2015 relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 10/07 – MIDNIGHTER #5 – Grayson and Midnighter have finally cornered the man selling the tech that was stolen from the God Garden! Unfortunately for them, he’s saved all the best toys for himself! Somebody’s not leaving Russia alive

For the week of 11/04 – MIDNIGHTER #6 – Midnighter’s always lived his life believing nothing could ever hurt him—but that was before he let someone he cared about into his world! When a mysterious enemy targets the family of the man he loves, all bets are off…

For the week of 12/02 – MIDNIGHTER #7 – The mastermind behind the theft of the God Garden’s technology is finally unveiled…and Midnighter never could have guessed the ultimate goal of the heist!

00:00:09 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #51 and gives the obligatory spoiler alerts warning for the issue being reviewed.

00:00:37 – Ben continues with no “news” and addresses some fresh listener mail.

Brian Polk (23 mins of Ska Podcast – 23ska.com – @radjose writes in:Last episode, I think it was Matt (L) who wrote in asking about Rainmaker being half-sister to Threshold and Bliss and where was that established.

It was established in the pages of “Team Seven: Dead Reckoning” where we see Steven Callahan and his wife announce that they are pregnant. When the baby is born the doctors tell Steven that both his wife and baby are dead. It’s all a plot by Craven to get the Gen-Active baby. His wife overhears this, fakes being dead until she can grab baby Rainmaker and high tail it out of there back to her family on the reservation to help be raised. Later we see Callahan’s new family along w/ his 2 new kids along with his new wife. I think there was more in the Gen12 series, and yes, we see Steven bite it at the beginning of the Gen13 mini-series.

Question for you two:
If the WildStorm Universe could come back today how would you like to see it? Pick up right where they left off? Or should we join a universe that has been in progress for the last several years and has built their way out of “World’s End” and unravel the story of what happened between the end and now as the books are being published?

00:08:14 – Joe reviews Midnighter #3, released on August 5th, written by Steve Orlando with art by Aco, cover by Artyom Trakhanov with variant cover by John Paul Leon. Romulo Fajardo, Jr. makes the cover credits for his amazing colors in this issue.

00:17:34 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issues for the past month. Crickets!

00:22:13 – Ben continues to give a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU June 2015 relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 9/02 – MIDNIGHTER#4 – Grayson and Midnighter—reunited at last! Granted, it wasn’t Grayson’s idea, and yes, technically Midnighter might have kidnapped him. And, uh, brought him to Moscow to fight a herd of feral vampires. Maybe this reunion is getting off on the wrong foot…

For the week of 10/07 – MIDNIGHTER #5 – Grayson and Midnighter have finally cornered the man selling the tech that was stolen from the God Garden! Unfortunately for them, he’s saved all the best toys for himself! Somebody’s not leaving Russia alive

For the week of 11/04 – MIDNIGHTER #6 – Midnighter’s always lived his life believing nothing could ever hurt him—but that was before he let someone he cared about into his world! When a mysterious enemy targets the family of the man he loves, all bets are off…

00:00:40 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #50 and gives the obligatory spoiler alerts warning (but really if you haven’t read any of these issues, you didn’t miss anything this past year). Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release (Joe’s not doing anymore written reviews, for shame!).

00:01:06 – Joe continues with some SDCC “news” and follows up on some great listener mail.

SDCC 2015 Wildstorm News! – Just kidding, there wasn’t any mention of our beloved characters. But there were many LGTBQ presentations with even DC kicking things off with a video of there many character that have had other lifestyles. Dozens of articles were written surrounding LGTBQ characters with Midnighter being mentioned in the majority of them. Surely these mentioned will give the new solo title a lift in numbers.

00:09:33 – Ben reviews Midnighter #2, released on July 1 and written by Steve Orlando with art by Aco, cover by Aco with variant cover Kevin Wada.

00:23:27 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issues for the past month. Zilch!

00:25:06 – Joe gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU June 2015 relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 8/05 – MIDNIGHTER #3 – Midnighter’s up against Multiplex, the man with the power of infinite self-replication—in other words, all his dreams are coming true! Infinite clones mean infinite bones to break…

For the week of 9/02 – MIDNIGHTER#4 – Grayson and Midnighter—reunited at last! Granted, it wasn’t Grayson’s idea, and yes, technically Midnighter might have kidnapped him. And, uh, brought him to Moscow to fight a herd of feral vampires. Maybe this reunion is getting off on the wrong foot…

For the week of 10/07 – MIDNIGHTER #5 – Grayson and Midnighter have finally cornered the man selling the tech that was stolen from the God Garden! Unfortunately for them, he’s saved all the best toys for himself! Somebody’s not leaving Russia alive

00:28:33 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below.The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.Contact info:Joe:http://twitter.com/joedavidsolizBen: Look me up on Google+Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddictPost your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!Email us:wildstormaddiction@gmail.com (Reinstated, bring on some new listener mail!).Facebook Fan Page:Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan PageGoogle+ Page: wildstormaddictionOur show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and other devices with Stitcher. Stitcher is Smart Radio for Your phone or tablet. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com The latest episode is always available for you- no syncing needed… and no memory or storage wasted! Stitcher SmartRadio- The Smarter Way to listen to radio.

]]>Welcome to a another episode of Wildstorm Addiction, two months in a row! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Midnighter #2 (2015). Continue reading →Welcome to a another episode of Wildstorm Addiction, two months in a row! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Midnighter #2 (2015). Continue reading →Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean30:05Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 49http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2015/06/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-49/
Tue, 16 Jun 2015 07:55:40 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3729Continue reading →]]>Subscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunesShow Notes: Welcome to a brand new amazing yet one year late episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Midnighter #1 (2015) and discuss the completion of both Future’s End and Convergence events, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the DCU (no longer the New 52).

00:00:01 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #49 and gives the obligatory spoiler alerts warning (but really if you haven’t read any of these issues, you didn’t miss anything this past year). Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release (Joe’s not doing anymore written reviews, for shame!).

00:01:42 – We’re back yet again after an entire year in the making! Ben continues with a paltry amount of “Wildstorm” related news collected over the past year’s time, if that’s what we’re calling it these days.

The Divine Right Hardcover scheduled for a Dec. 2014 release never happened. Instead they released a massive 400 page softcover(paperback) edition. This is a great way to catch up on Max’s story if you’ve never gotten the chance to read this title and it’s crossover event into Gen13 and Wildcats.

The Authority Heroclix came out in the next set, DC Heroclix: The Flash. Ben went crazy and somehow got them all. Some are very common and cheap (Jack Hawksmoore, Swift, Apollo, and The Doctor), some are not too bad (Midnighter), and others are a bit too pricey (Jenny Sparx, The Engineer).

The podcast is now five years old, but we haven’t yet cracked the 50 mark! Sounds a lot like some Wildstorm titles…well most Wildstorm titles that I know of.

00:03:47 – Joe reviews the first issue of an old Wildstorm character in a solo title spun out of the Grayson series, Midnighter #1, written by Steve Orlando with art by ACO and cover art by ACO; variant cover by Bryan Hitch(The original Authority artist).

00:19:11 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issues within the past year. Big thanks and shout out to John Pannozzi from Clark’s Bar (now on Facebook only) for helping us keep up with these appearances!!!

Grayson #1, 2, 4, 5, 6 – Midnighter appearances; introduced to the “God Garden” and the Gardener (new character that created the Midnighter), Grayson #4-5 had appearances by Apollo as well

Convergence #0 – WildC.A.T.s (1992) #1 cover art shown in the Who’s Who in Convergence back pages; this team is never shown in any of the other Convergence titles (cut yet again or more to come post Convergence?)

Convergence: Nightwing/Oracle #2 – Divergence: Midnighter “Sneak Peek”, 8 full pages of Midnighter preview, all new content not repeated in Midnighter #1…more of a prelude than a preview.

Convergence #7 – Apollo and Engineer “Stormwatch” appearance

Convergence: Aquaman #1-2 – Deathblow appearances

Convergence: Superman The Man of Steel #1-2 – Gen 13 appearances

Convergence: Shadow of the Bat #1-2 – Wetworks appearances

00:29:12 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU June 2015 relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 7/01 – MIDNIGHTER #2 – Marina Lucas woke up this morning as a suburban martial-arts instructor…but when God Garden tech unexpectedly falls into her lap, she’ll end the day as the deadliest woman on the planet! That’s bad news for her – and worse for the Midnighter!

For the week of 8/05 – MIDNIGHTER #3 – Midnighter’s up against Multiplex, the man with the power of infinite self-replication—in other words, all his dreams are coming true! Infinite clones mean infinite bones to break…

For the week of 9/02 – MIDNIGHTER#4 – Grayson and Midnighter—reunited at last! Granted, it wasn’t Grayson’s idea, and yes, technically Midnighter might have kidnapped him. And, uh, brought him to Moscow to fight a herd of feral vampires. Maybe this reunion is getting off on the wrong foot…

00:31:02 – Joe gives some quick shout out’s to Clark’s Bar. Which the original message board has ceased to exist. But Clark’s Bar the FB group is alive and well with our 11 members https://www.facebook.com/groups/1036575389702716/. Get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com. We also want to mention our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast where Joe has been a regular co-host for over a year now.

]]>Welcome to a brand new amazing yet one year late episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Midnighter #1 (2015) and discuss the completion of both Future's End and Convergence events,Welcome to a brand new amazing yet one year late episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Midnighter #1 (2015) and discuss the completion of both Future's End and Convergence events, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the DCU (no longer the New 52). Continue reading →Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean36:10Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 48http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2014/05/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-48/
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2014/05/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-48/#commentsSat, 17 May 2014 01:58:07 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3692Continue reading →]]>Subscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunesShow Notes: Welcome to a brand new amazing yet one year late episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #21-30 and Future’s End #0-1, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:00 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #48 and forgets to give his spoiler alerts warning (but really if you haven’t read any of these issues, you didn’t miss anything this past year). Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release (really Joe?).

We’re back! After a longer hiatus than anticipated but probably a much needed one for the both of us. Stormwatch #21-30 other Wildstorm appearances in the DCU New 52. (SPOILERS WARNING)

Divine Right: The Adventures of Max Faraday issues up at comixology.
Deathblow Deluxe Edition Hardcover just released in March with the softcover coming in Jan. 2015. Collects #1-12 plus story from Darker Image #1. Also Divine Right Hardcover scheduled for Dec. 2014. DC gearing up to use these characters somehow?

More Wildstorm Heroclix in the recently released Superman and the Legion of Superheroes set which includes a Daemonite, Helspont, Mr. Majestic and Ladytron. AND The Authority is coming in the next set, DC Heroclix: The Flash on Oct. 15 (my bday, thank you Wiz Kids!). So far only a pic of Midnighter has been released.

The podcast is 4 years old!

Future’s End News: Well, in five years’ time, Stormwatch is still called Stormwatch, not The Authority and they have a couple of new members. Via – Bleeding Cool

The Movement canceled ending with issue #12 in May, featured Wildstorm character Rainmaker.

00:07:18 – Ben starts our final yearly wrap up of Stormwatch run from issues #21-30 mostly written by Jim Starlin with art by Yvel Guichet except for #30 which was written by Sterling Gates with art by Jeremy Roberts. We touch a bit on what Jim Lee had to say in an interview from CBR about the state of the Wildstorm characters and their misses and misses in integrating into the new DCU.

Jim Lee’s comments on state of Wildstorm from CBR- “We like to say we’re finding our way. [Laughs] I think when we started the New 52, we had a bunch of Wildstorm characters in there, and they were really being handled by New York editors. They would often ask me, “Do you like this take? Do you think this is cool?” And my response to them was, “Look, I want your take on the characters. We spent many years doing our take on the West Coast and I’d love to see them through the filter of the New York office. You guys deal with these iconic characters like Superman and Batman. Where do characters like Grifter and some of these other WildC.A.T.S. or former Gen13 members — where do they fit into this mythology, how do they fit in?” Like everything you do creatively, there were some hits and misses. That said, I think we’ve held back on a couple of franchises like “Gen13” and “WildC.A.T.S.” and that’s something I want to be more directly involved with. When the time comes, we’ll put those out and hopefully, Wildstorm fans will be happy.”

00:17:52 – Joe touches on the Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox animated movie which features a great representation of Grifter. Grifter hasn’t been seen on the small screen for almost 15 years!

00:18:20 – Joe covers the Free Comic Book Day Future’s End #0 and the now weekly issues #1 written by Brian Azzarello. Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffen with art by Patrick Zircher (did Shadowman for Valiant) and cover by Ryan Sook.

00:29:28 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issues within the past year. Massive thanks to Titan from Clark’s Bar for helping us keep up with these appearances!!!

00:33:30 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 5/07 FUTURE’S END #1 – Grifter appearance

For the week of 5/14 FUTURE’S END #2 – No confirmed appearances

For the week of 5/21 FUTURE’S END #3 – No confirmed appearances

For the week of 5/28 FUTURE’S END #4 – Stormwatch appearance

00:35:17 – Joe gives some quick shout out’s starting with Chris Striker’s The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at http://theauthority.ws. Also check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.comicaddiciton.net. Get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com. We also want to mention our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast where Joe is a now a pimpmacdaddyregular-host. Finally check out our buddy Chris Arrant over at www.comicbookresources.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2014/05/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-48/feed/2Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #21-30 and Future's End #0-1, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. - Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #21-30 and Future's End #0-1, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #48 and forgets to give his spoiler alerts warning (but really if you haven't read any of these issues, you didn't miss anything this past year). Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release (really Joe?). Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean42:25We’re back…and so is Grifter!http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2014/02/were-back-and-so-is-grifter/
Sun, 23 Feb 2014 16:51:06 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3681Continue reading →]]>Hello everyone!

So it’s been a long time since we’ve been on here talking some Wildstorm. The rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. But it did get us a mention from Chris Arrant over at Comic Book Resources back in November. I guess it’s true that you only become famous when people think you’re dead. But anyway, I digress.

It was a series of things that kept us off the air last year. Both Ben and I had increasing job responsibilities, I moved to Austin which eventually led to my girlfriend and I deciding to get married (one month ago) and even some technical difficulties that kept me from publishing my monthly Stormwatch review (although with the decline & impending cancellation it was probably a well needed break anyway).

We were planning on doing at least one more podcast to discuss the last few issues of Stormwatch upcoming in April. But now that we have the announcement of Future’s End with Grifter being featured, we’ll probably end up doing more podcasts. Now, Future’s End is a weekly book so whether or not I’ll be able to do written reviews again remains to be seen because of the demands of daily life. But we will at least do podcasts covering any Wildstorm characters appearances (Stormwatch is slated for #4). Plus you never know where Wildstorm characters will pop up next in the DCU as we’ve had Rainmaker in The Movement and Lynch over in Suicide Squad.

Stormwatch begins to gain some decent footing with this issue. After this reboot of the title seemed to grow very tired very quickly, this issue slows down a bit and gives us lots of info about certain members of the new team. It’s still not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The change in Midnighter’s origin is a little disappointing. His original origin just didn’t seem as cliché. But as far as the fight scenes and even his internal monologue, it seems this Midnighter is more what people wanted in the New 52. We also gets glimpses of Storm Control’s past and some info on Hellstrike’s powers. It’s interesting that the characters in the book know they’re not the original. This could lead to some great plotlines if the creative team keeps on this path.

I’m still not crazy about the art and the inclusion of Lobo hasn’t added any weight to the book…yet. He seems to be the focus of every solicitation so far so I hope he becomes very relevant to the team. I just hope the team has more interaction with the rest of the DCU than just Lobo and the occasional reference to the Justice League.

The book will be gone for a month during Villain’s Month but will be back with #24 the following month. I would’ve liked to have seem them do something with the villains from Stormwatch but the reboot is still to fresh and the villains not well-known enough to carry their own book. I’m just happy it’s still not cancelled. You gotta take your victories where you can.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/08/stormwatch-23/feed/3Grifter in Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox Blu-ray/DVDhttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/07/grifter-in-justice-league-flashpoint-paradox-blu-raydvd/
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/07/grifter-in-justice-league-flashpoint-paradox-blu-raydvd/#commentsFri, 26 Jul 2013 21:09:33 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3663Continue reading →]]>Well this was something we thought was near impossible here at Wildstorm Addiction! When we first heard they were making an animated adaption of this story, we thought the chances of Grifter making it in were slim to none. Well, thankfully the director is a Grifter fan and he pushed for Grifter to make an appearance.

Flashpoint was the story that brought Wildstorm into the DCU New 52. It featured a mini-series called Lois Lane and the Resistance. Grifter played a part in the story as he helped Lois fight the Amazons who had taken over Europe. It’s so cool that we get to see Grifter in animated form again after all these years. Even if it is a cameo. Be sure and pick up the movie when it comes out July 30th!

This new incarnation of Stormwatch continues this month but the story is still a bit simplistic. The inclusion of Lobo was already an odd choice and his part in the story takes a predictable turn here. The only saving grace about the issue is the choice Jenny Soul makes at the end which rings of Warren Ellis from original Authority run. Other than that, I’m still worried about this title.

The opening situation with Lobo seemed very forced, but the same can be said about the inclusion of Lobo in this title period. The ruse The Kollective uses against Jenny is not very convincing. I cannot believe that Storm Control would let her take the action she did. I know we don’t know the character that well yet but the way he deals with Lobo at the end of this issue should show that he is a man who plans ahead.

It’s nice to have an incarnation of Apollo and Midnighter that’s closer to their originals, but I still feel like they’re holding back with these characters. Their place in the DCU needs to become more cemented. In fact, I can say the same about Stormwatch in general. If this team is going to work in the DCU they need to have some interaction WITH the DCU. This is part of why I don’t like them being out in space because the potential for them to run into other DCU characters diminishes. Especially considering that major players like the Green Lantern Corps are currently occupied with their own crisis.

Guichet’s art has been ok but something in this issue made it look a little off. I don’t know if it was the inkers or what but I did not enjoy the art. I’m not even liking Jim Starlin’s covers either. Overall, this book feels out of place, as if it belonged in the 1980’s. Sorry if that’s harsh but I’m tired of seeing the Wildstorm characters treated this way.

Well, the solicits for October do show Stormwatch #24 with no Final Issue tag attached so that’s good. So we know we’ll at least make it to issue #25 which for a Wildstorm title is a milestone in itself. Honestly, I just hope Stormwatch survives to see another creative team change. We need a stronger artist and something that will get this team interacting with the DCU if the title is to survive.

6 out of 10 (Slightly Above Average)

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/07/stormwatch-22/feed/2Rainmaker debuts in the New 52http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/07/rainmaker-debuts-in-the-new-52/
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/07/rainmaker-debuts-in-the-new-52/#commentsTue, 09 Jul 2013 19:37:07 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3650Continue reading →]]>Last month’s The Movement #2 saw the debut of one of our favorite Gen 13 kids, Rainmaker. It was just a cameo but this month’s #3 sees her in full action. While it has been discouraging that a lot of the Wildstorm presence has diminshed in the New 52, it’s good to see we’re getting some nuggets here and there. It’s also not surprising because writer Gail Simone did a stint on Gen 13. For those hungry for some Wildstorm stuff, be sure and pick up the latest issues of The Movement!

Stormwatch has been through a lot of changes lately, but it doesn’t seem that the changes are helping the title as intended. What began as a potential for an interesting new start for the team, is quickly devolving into traditional superhero fare. I fear the title may not survive past Villains Month in Sept.

This title does not feel like Stormwatch anymore. I thought the space story could be interesting but I can’t help feeling like I’m reading an old Guardians of the Galaxy from the 80’s. I’ve never liked this old style-writing and story-telling. It was fine for the time but I think modern comics have us spoiled now in that respect.

The story just seems so basic. I have yet to find anything about the story that excites me. I feel like they included Lobo simply to keep him in use. And the new bad guys called The Kollective explain why they chose Lobo as their herald and I just don’t buy it. I just feel like we’re going beat per beat in this story with no surprises or twists.

The art is not horrible but it’s way too simple for me. Again, another aspect that makes it feel as if this book is stuck in the 80’s. Stormwatch was born in the 90’s and the original incarnation of the team represented that for better or worse. When the 90’s came to an end and we entered the 2000’s the team changed again and matched the time. Even the first incarnation with the New 52 seemed to fit more in this universe than this team feels right now.

Unless something drastic happens, we may be on the verge of losing our last Wildstorm title. There’s no Stormwatch book listed for Villains Month so already that’s not a good sign. So we may be coming back in Sept. to discuss the end of the book is how it looks right now unless a miracle happens.

5 out of 10 (Average)

]]>Summer hiatus for podcasthttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/05/summer-hiatus-for-podcast/
Tue, 28 May 2013 20:15:50 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3631Continue reading →]]>Well, if you’ve listened to Ep. 47 then you know that we’ve decided to take a hiatus from doing the podcast for the rest of the summer. DC has reduced its Wildstorm-centered titles down to only Stormwatch. We figured it wouldn’t be worth recording a monthly podcast about one book. Plus, we’ve been going at the podcast pretty strong since we returned in Fall 2011 with the debut of the New 52 so it’s a nice time for a break.

While we are disappointed that we’re once again back to morning the characters of the WSU, it’s times out right as both Ben and I have seen an increase in both our jobs and family-life. We intend to return in Sept. to discuss whatever event DC plans to do and also to discuss the first full arc of the rebooted Stormwatch at that time. Until then, we will continue with the written reviews for the Stormwatch title. We hope everyone has a great summer and be sure to subscribe to our iTunes feed so you’ll get a notification when we return.

00:00:00 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #47 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. This month on our “Friends of Wildstorm” series, where we bring on a lifelong or recently converted fans of the Wildstorm Universe, we have Titanthrope (who asked that his identity remain confidential) and is a regular at Clark’s Bar and one of the last die-hard Wildstorm fans next to Joe, myself, and Chris Striker.

00:05:42 – Ben continues the slowing Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

The only news for us is that we have decided to take a hiatus for the summer. Now that we’ll only have one title to review we just thought it would be a good time to take a breather (we only do 1 show a month as it is now right? Such pansies!!). As of now, Stormwatch #23 is solicited for August with No Final Issue tag (thank God!). The rumor is that this year’s New 52 September event will be villains month where the villains will take over each title for the month. I’m putting my bets on it being Lobo and also possibly being the final issue of Stormwatch. Maybe the BleadingCool “Max Faraday” trademarking rumor will spice things up a bit. But at this point I’d say that’s a stretch and can easily be peddled as Jim’s pet project, not Wildstorm specific.

00:09:25 – Joe starts our final monthly reviews off with the holdout title of Stormwatch issue #20. Released on 5/01, written by Jim Starlin with art by Yvel Guichet and cover by Jim Starlin.

00:18:35 – Our guest and friend of the show, Titanthrope, keeps it going with the review of the final issue of Team 7 #8. Released on 5/08, written by Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Merino with cover by Gary Frank.

00:26:57 – Ben gives his review of the final issue of Ravagers #12. Released on 5/08, written by Michael Alan Nelson & Tony Bedard with art by Diogenes Neves and cover by Ken Lashley. (Rant much Ben? Dude you need some pills or something!) The Authority baddie we were referring to was Seth, not Zed.

00:43:33 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #20’s that have released this month.

5/08 Deathstroke #20 – Last Issue: John Lynch and Majestic appearances to help end this title

00:47:01 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 6/05

STORMWATCH #21 While searching for the truth about the Kollective, the team runs straight into the arms of Lobo! (Subsequent issues usually scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month. Pick them up and join us at the end of the summer to discuss!)

For the week of 5/22

ALL-STAR WESTERN #20 And in the backup story, a never before seen Stormwatch team takes the spotlight!

00:49:50 – Joe gives some quick shout out’s starting with Chris Striker’s The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at http://theauthority.ws. Also check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.imageaddiciton.net. Get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com. We also want to mention our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast where Joe now guest-hosts.

00:51:28 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below.The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.Contact info:Joe:http://twitter.com/joedavidsoliz (I have changed my Twitter)Ben: Look me up on Google+Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddictPost your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!Email us:wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.Facebook Fan Page:Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan PageGoogle+ Page: wildstormaddictionOur show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and other devices with Stitcher. Stitcher is Smart Radio for Your phone or tablet. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com The latest episode is always available for you- no syncing needed… and no memory or storage wasted! Stitcher SmartRadio- The Smarter Way to listen to radio. (p.s. – We have two regular subscribers to the Stitcher feed. Glad I set this up!!)

00:53:10 – Joe will be at the big anime convention in Dallas called A-kon, May 31-June 2 helping promote my friend’s upcoming video game Mech Knight Chronicles which is from Dinosaur Games. They can be found at www.dinosaurentertainment.com. We also got green-lit on Steam so if you have a Steam account please vote YES for us! http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=137877429 He’ll also be helping run the Icebreaker panel for newbies to the con. We will also be doing a panel called Cosplay Combat where cosplayers can battle each other using giant D&D dice a friend of mine makes. Dinosaur Games should also have a booth but I’m sure we’ll be carrying the giant sword prop from the game so it should be easy to spot us.

]]>Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #20, Ravagers #12, and Team 7 #8, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. - Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #20, Ravagers #12, and Team 7 #8, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.<br />
<br />
Ben welcomes everyone to episode #47 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. This month on our "Friends of Wildstorm" series, where we bring on a lifelong or recently converted fans of the Wildstorm Universe, we have Titanothrope (who asked that his identity remain confidential) and is a regular at Clark’s Bar and one of the last die-hard Wildstorm fans next to Joe, myself, and Chris Striker. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean55:30Ravagers #12http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/05/ravagers-12/
Tue, 14 May 2013 19:56:51 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3596Continue reading →]]>“The Man Who Killed The Ravagers”

Another one bites the dust as this title too comes to an end. Under the new creative team, the title did remain interesting. It also left things very opened ended so we’ll see what DC has planned for this group in the future.

The final issue reads like the final act of a movie. We have a huge confrontation between the Ravagers and Deathstroke which ends up being really cool. Because it was basically a final battle issue there’s not too much to elaborate on other than enjoying the fight. Diogenes Neves got to finish off the art on the issue solo and he does a good job with the fight scenes.

More than anything, the title seemed to be setting up for another possible book. I am glad that the ending wasn’t so clean and left it open-ended. It just elevated the threat and showed that the bad guys really know what they’re doing. It’s nice to have bad guys who are not totally incompetent.

I’ve mentioned before that Ravagers seemed like a strange experiment for DC. It was a brand new title, bearing a varaiton of the codename Deathstroke’s daughter used pre-New 52 which was compromised of one part Teen Titans, one part new characters and a dash of Gen 13 and Doom Patrol thrown in for good measure. Much like an experimental recipe, it’s possible this combination of flavors was never going to taste good to fans.

Overall, Ravagers was always enjoyable because it was so different. But I guess it was probably too different for long time fans who really just want the classic Teen Titans to be re-assembled. If that is what they wish, they’ll appreciate the tease at the end of the issue. Until then, The Ravagers will just have wait on the sidelines.

After much build up since the cancellation announcement, the title has a nice wind down here. Jordan does his best to answer as many dangling plotlines as he can with the space allotted. In the end, it’s a decent ending to a title that was cancelled way too prematurely.

Team 7 has been the surprise hit of the cancellations (if that makes any sense). It seems that once Jordan got past the initial arc, he found more freedom to tell a great and epic story. Repeatedly it’s been said that if he had been allowed to lead with this story, the title might have survived. For old Wildstorm fans, this quickly became the book to follow as Jordan jam-packed it with classic Wildstorm characters. It was nice to see these characters in action again.

The biggest tragedy is probably the fact that one of Wildstorm’s greatest villains, Kaizen Gamorra, will get benched along with all the other Wildstorm characters from this book. He was always a get villain in the old Wildstorm U and would easily be someone who could take on the Justice League. The other character who undoubtedly will get benched is Majestic. The origin they picked for him in the New 52 is really odd but aside from that, he looked like his old self. So much potential is lost here with these characters.

There’s not too much to say about this issue other than I think Jordan wrapped it up to the best of his abilities. The ending promises “The end of Team 7 for now…” but I doubt DC will be using this team any time soon unless it’s in flashbacks. Overall, it was nice to have the team in the DCU while it lasted. Team 7 was always a finite concept but I just wish Jordan would’ve had more time to tell stories in the New 52’s past.

After a strong initial showing for the new creative team last month, the title begins to waiver a little too early for my tastes. Although the inclusion of Lobo is interesting, it seems a little odd that Stormwatch has essentially become Star Trek with superheroes.

It seems all the Wildstorm titles met their end in space. Voodoo headed out into space and got cancelled and so did Grifter (sort of). Only Team 7 didn’t resort to space as a new setting for the story but apparently that’s a moot point since that title was cancelled anyway. I’m hoping the Stormwatch title won’t end it’s time in space as well. For some, the classic feel Starlin brings may be a welcome change of pace and something that many feel is sorely missed in modern comics. But honestly, other than a select few classic stories, I’m not a fan of classic comic books. There’s just something very dated about that style of story-telling to me.

I will say I like this mixture of characters. It’s good to have Apollo and Midnighter back in their original costumes. I never knew Lobo’s origin so I’m not sure how much this one deviates from it (if at all). I also hope that the villains of the story can convince me why Lobo is a good choice for their master plan. It just seems to me that beings who can alter space and time would not seek out someone like Lobo.

I’m really trying to hold back criticism on where this story is going because we’re only two issues into the arc. But when you have an enjoyable first issue and the second starts slowing things down, it’s hard not to worry. It just seems that this book has turned into Green Lantern Corps because I feel a lot of the DC space stuff is handled there. Stormwatch seems to work better when they’re behind the scenes.

I’m hoping the title gets back on track next month because I’d hate to see the last Wildstorm title die. But we all knew this was DC’s Hail Mary play for the title. Let’s see if they score a touchdown after all.

00:00:00 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #46 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. This month on our “Friends of Wildstorm” series, where we bring on a lifelong or recently converted fans of the Wildstorm Universe, we have Dave Bertrand a.k.a. DaveEB who is a regular at Clark’s Bar and can be seen spreading the Wildstorm love at the Comic Book Resource message boards sometimes too. Dave gives us a quick background on why and when he started following Wildstorm, which was the Wildstorm Rising crossover in 1994.

00:02:13 – Joe continues the slowing Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

We got even more previews from the DC Heroclix: Teen Titans set as they released pics of many of the Ravagers characters. Be sure to check those out if you haven’t already. The set is due in May.

Bleeding Cool released a list of DC trades coming out for the rest of this year. In September we get Stormwatch Vol. 3 which collects #0, 13-18 and in December we have The Authority Vol. 2 HC which collects #13-29.

Tom Strong returns this July in a 6 issue mini-series called Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril. Like Astro City which returns in June, Tom Strong was not a Wildstorm universe title but was published under the imprint. It will be written by Peter Hogan with art by Carl Sprouse and Karl Story.

Jim Lee mentioned the Wildstorm integration into the New 52 at WonderCon in April. Quote from Comic Book Resources: “We haven’t had the best of luck with a lot of the Wildstorm stuff in the New 52,” Lee said in regards to seeing a WILDCats or Gen 13 series, “So I’d hold off on that.”

00:06:27 – Ben starts the monthly reviews off with the review of the new reimagining of Stormwatch with issue #19. Released on 4/03, written by Jim Starlin with art by Yvel Guichet and cover by Jim Starlin.

00:21:32 – Our guest and friend of the show, Dave Bertrand, keeps it going with the review of Team 7 #7. Released on 4/10, written by Justin Jordan with art by Pascal Alixe with cover by Ken Lashley.

00:33:12 – Joe gives his review of Ravagers #11. Released on 4/10, written by Michael Alan Nelson & Tony Bedard with art by Diogenes Neves and Geraldo Borges with cover by Ken Lashley.

00:41:49 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #19’s that have released this month.

00:46:06 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 5/01

STORMWATCH #20 Don’t say we didn’t warn you! The new StormWatch is even more bloodthirsty than the previous team! On their first off-planet mission, the new StormWatch has to prove itself-while Lobo is seduced by aliens!

For the week of 5/08

RAVAGERS #12 (LAST ISSUE!) As Caitlin and Rose deal with the shocking revelation about their origins, Deathstroke takes down the remaining Ravagers. This is the end!

TEAM 7 #8 (LAST ISSUE!) Revealed: What broke Team 7 apart—and set Black Canary, Amanda Waller, Deathstroke and Majestic on the rocky road they travel today?

DEATHSTROKE #20 (LAST ISSUE!) The most accomplished cape-killer in the world gets the chance to add to his legacy when Deathstroke comes face to face with his daughter Rose and The Ravagers!

For the week of 5/22

ALL-STAR WESTERN #20 And in the backup story, a never before seen Stormwatch team takes the spotlight!

00:47:45 – Joe gives some quick shout out’s starting with Chris Striker’s The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at http://theauthority.ws. Also check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.imageaddiciton.net And get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com (they just hit episode 100!). We also want to mention our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast where Joe now guest-hosts.

00:48:56 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below.The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

And just to mention it early, Joe will also be at the big anime convention in Dallas called A-kon, May 31-June 2, promoting the game and also helping run the Icebreaker panel for newbies to the con. We may also be doing a panel called Cosplay Combat where cosplayers can battle each other using giant D&D dice a friend of mine makes. And at both cons I’m sure we’ll be carrying the giant sword prop from the game so it should be easy to spot us.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/04/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-46/feed/1Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #19, Ravagers #11 and Team 7 #7, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #19, Ravagers #11 and Team 7 #7, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52! This month on our "Friends of Wildstorm" series, where we bring on a lifelong or recently converted fans of the Wildstorm Universe, we have Dave Bertrand a.k.a. DaveEB who is a regular at Clark’s Bar and can be seen spreading the Wildstorm love at the Comic Book Resource message boards sometimes too. Dave gives us a quick background on why and when he started following Wildstorm, which was the Wildstorm Rising crossover in 1994.<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #46 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. A slowing of any good Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean55:30Ravagers #11http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/04/ravagers-11/
Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:04:10 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3502Continue reading →]]>“Home Wreckers”

With just one issue left, Ravagers begins its wrap-up by bringing in all the players we’ve had in the book so far and making sure not all of them survive. It seems where the death of a title comes in the New 52, death itself isn’t too far behind. We get the introduction of an old Doom Patrol villain and lots of revelations that are starting to feel repetitive where the Wildstorm characters are concerned.

I won’t spoil the revelation but I will say it involves Fairchild and if you’ve been reading Team 7 you can probably figure out what it is. She’s become more like her Wildstorm self in recent issues. Even her look has started harkening back to the old days. But apparently she wasn’t free from overused and clichéd story ideas attached to her. I’d like to see her survive the title and based on comments from DC she very well might, but I wish they would’ve gone somewhere else with her origin.

Diogenes Neves & Geraldo Borges do well on art. I was happy with how each of the characters looked and thought some of the fight scenes were very cool. At this point, I’m not sure we’re going to get any wrap-up next issue so much as an opening for whatever they want to do next with these characters. I don’t expect them to stay a team. I’m sure Teen Titans fans are dying for Beast Boy & Terra to head on over to that book anyway.

One thing that was nice is the connection this book has with Team 7 #7 and Deathstroke #19 this month. It was nice to see some interconnectivity which I think had been missing for a short bit. Kudos to the creative teams for working to help keep all the story beats straight.

Well, it’s hard to stay excited about this book with the impending cancellation. But I look forward not to a wrap-up next month, but an open door that will hopefully lead to a new book (or books) with some of the these characters.

Normally when a title is announced for cancellation, it’s hard to get excited about any remaining issues. But Jordan has made these last issues of Team 7 absolutely incredible! The tag team of Merino & Alixe continue to deliver on the art side and the introduction of an old Wildstorm character (spoiled by the title of the issue) make this series so much fun now even here at the end.

Jordan has teased inserting Majestic into this title since the beginning. The way he was created here in the New 52 is a little odd but I was at least happy to see him in a version of his classic costume. We also finally get back to Gamorra Island and its dictator leader Kaizen Gamorra who was one of the top villains in the old Wildstorm U. Here, they do well to insert the ongoing mystery of Pandora and her Box into the mix. I hope it leads some to try the issue when they find that connection here with the impending Trinity War crossover.

We also finally get an explanation as to why Steve Trevor hadn’t been present in the book until now which is ironic because he’s one of the characters in the modern New 52 who kept referring to the team. His insertion is quick but done in a way that makes sense considering Jordan only had a handful of issues left to bring him on board. We also get an explanation of Black Canary and how she got her powers which had a surprising link to an old Wildstorm U concept.

I can’t help but repeat, of the titles slated for cancellation so far, this one bums me out the most. It should have at least been given up to issue 12 before they decided to cancel it. Jordan has really hit his stride with the title, but it’s obviously too little too late. Well, if the momentum keeps up like this, the series will at least end on a high note next month and will make picking up the trade that much more satisfying for those who were trade-waiting.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

]]>DC Heroclix: Teen Titans- Warbladehttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/04/dc-heroclix-teen-titans-warblade/
Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:43:10 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3486Continue reading →]]>Sorry that we’ve fallen behind in reporting these but I’ve been in the middle of moving to Austin. And Wiz Kids has been so generous we’re actually several figures behind so I’ll just focus on the latest release which was The Ravagers version of Warblade.

When Warblade first debuted in the New 52 as a villain we were a little skeptical. But in the pages of Ravagers he has really shown himself to do well in the role. In Heroclix, this version is more deadly than his WildC.A.T.s counterpart. This Warblade seems to have better control of his powers and they represent this by giving him an ability called Shifting Body which allows to him to use both Plasticity and Shape Change. And with the special You Won’t Get Away attack, even running towards hindering terrain won’t help you.

They also make sure that his ability to form knives and stabbing weapons is well-represented by giving him Blades/Claws/Fangs and Flurry. In fact, it seems he has something on each click of his dial that will aggravate you whether it be Toughness, Exploit Weakness, or even down to his last click where he gets the always-annoying Regeneration that will give you headaches. He is more than worth the 151 points you’d spend for him. You can find more about Warblade here.

There have been a couple of other previews that can be seen here which are Ravagers related:

Welcome to the new Stormwatch! This is not issue #19, it reads more like a first issue. But that’s exactly what they’re doing with this title so it was very appropriate. This is definitely very new reader friendly. Starlin does what he does best as he infuses the title with his classic sci-fi feel. And Guichet’s art fits perfectly with what has proven to be a nice new beginning for the team.

So here we are, almost 20 issues in and it’s like starting a whole new series. But this series did desperately need it and I’m glad they’re giving it a shot in the arm instead of cancelling it. Right off the bat, Starlin brings a very classic feel to the book. I couldn’t help but sense echoes of Infinity Gauntlet here. But I enjoyed it and I was very impressed at how he crafted the story to introduce (or re-introduce) the Stormwatch characters.

Let’s start with the re-introductions. The big one is Apollo and Midnighter returning in their classic looks. Finally gone is that annoying Midnighter chin-spike in favor of his old trench coat look. Alongside him is the true long-haired Apollo who is hopefully less whiny than his short-haired version. We also get the New 52 introduction of Hellstrike who was a member of the Wildstorm version of Stormwatch. He brings with him an old Stormwatch member as well (won’t spoil who but I will say they’ve already been introduced elsewhere in the New 52, but they seem to have received a name change here). We also get a new Engineer with the same name as the previous but her ethnicity has been changed to African-American which I thought was an interesting choice. Even the Shadow Lords survived the change-over and are actually aware that the change happened which I thought was cool.

There’s also a plethora of new characters as we get Storm Control (whose true identity is a mystery), Jenny Soul (presumably Earth’s newest century baby), The Forecaster (a giant alien who reminds me of the Face of Boe from Doctor Who), and new version of Starlin’s creator-owned character, The Weird. All in all, a very interesting bunch and a group that’s ripe with possibilities.

I’m also very curious to see who these new villains are who caused all these changes. It’s a massive ordeal on par with what Pandora did to create the New 52 and begs the question if she’s aware of it. I hope it gets addressed eventually. One thing I really appreciated about the change is that while it does change what’s come before, but it does in a way that shows it still happened (if that makes sense). Starlin even goes as far as to reference a scene from Paul Cornell’s run which affects the character of Adam One. Which again, is so massive is begs the question of what changed as far as his role over in Demon Knights. These are all great new developments so I hope they’re addressed.

Guichet’s art was really good too. It seemed to match Starlin’s classic style from the cover so it was a nice transition into the issue. I also enjoyed the coloring from the tag team of Richard & Tanya Horie. Overall it is a very well put-together book.

I’m so happy this new run is off to a great start. I cannot emphasize enough if you were frustrated where Stormwatch was going before, jump on this issue and give it a try. I feel this is Stormwatch’s Hail Mary play. If this book is going to survive it’s needs support. Thankfully, in this case I can say that the support is well deserved.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/04/stormwatch-19/feed/1DC Heroclix: Teen Titans- Fairchild & Leashhttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/03/dc-heroclix-teen-titans-fairchild-leash/
Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:10:00 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3458Continue reading →]]>Over the past couple of days, we’ve gotten a look at two different Ravagers figures. We have one of N.O.W.H.E.R.E’s minions known as Leash. I have to say I was kind of hoping for Warblade but there’s still hope that he’ll come along. But the really big news is we get the Ravagers version of Fairchild. That means in this set we now have TWO versions of Fairchild to pick from!

At 96 points, Leash doesn’t have a lot abilities to showcase but the ones he does are more than enough to annoy your opponent. I’ll have to admit, Leash was not one of my favorite characters so it’s a little hard to get excited about this figure. I will say I appreciate that they’ve tried to cater his dial to his ability to create Psionic Coils, which appropriately is the name of one of his abilities. This allows him to use both Teleknesis and Poison to simulate him using his coils to rescue a teammate or poison an enemy. He also has a trait called Piece of Me. Much like Coils, it messes up your opponent by affected their health, in this case it gives them a -2. Check out more about Leash here.

Now one figure I am excited about is this new version of Fairchild as part of the Ravagers. I still prefer her Gen 13 version, but the Ravagers version does come with some differences that change her up a bit in gameplay. This figure is based on the fact that the New 52 version of Fairchild goes back and forth between her weak self and her strong self. This is accurately presented in her ability called Scientist or Fighter where she can choose Perplex to throw off her enemies with her intelligence or use Quake and Close Combat Expert to literally throw them around. They also took into account her double-agent status by giving her Probability Control in order to make her enemies second guess themselves. And if all that wasn’t enough, she has the Indomitable ability which keeps her from experiencing pushing damage. Check out more about Fairchild here.

That’s all for now. We still have several Ravagers to go and maybe even a few more N.O.W.H.E.R.E. agents so stay tuned!

]]>DC Heroclix: Teen Titans- Rose Wilsonhttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/03/dc-heroclix-teen-titans-rose-wilson/
Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:29:59 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3450Continue reading →]]>The next sinister agent of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is Harvest’s loyal right hand and also the daughter of the infamous mercenary, Deathstroke. Rose Wilson comes in with a beautiful sculpt wielding her twin swords. Every aspect of Rose is perfectly captured whether it be her deadly blades or her speed in battle. She truly makes for a very dangerous figure.

Rose is 126 points and comes with a variety of abilities that make her a threat on the battlefield. First off, she has an ability called Incredibly Agile which allows her to ignore elevated terrain, hindering terrain and characters when moving. This means you can’t pin her down or corner her. She starts off with Running Shot and Penetrating/Psychic Blast so she can do some ranged damaged, but if she does get in close she’s got Toughness and an 18 defense which doesn’t make her easy to hit. And her Indomitable ability keeps her from taking pushing damage. In other words, you’ll get tired before she does.

But they don’t stop giving her special abilities there. She also has an ability called called A Killer Among Killers which replaces Perplex on Rose Wilson’s damage slot. This ability reads, “When Rose Wilson attacks an opposing character with a higher unmodified attack value, damage from the attack is penetrating damage.” And even if you’re lucky enough to do damage to her, as you get into her last clicks she still has Flurry,Combat Reflexes,Stealth and Regeneration. All these abilities give me visions of her jumping through crowds of enemies, hacking and slashing and then getting away.

To see more on Rose go here. And we’ll see what other N.O.W.H.E.R.E. minions we get this week. I’m personally hoping for Warblade.

00:00:00 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #45 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. This month on our “Friends of Wildstorm” series, where we bring on a lifelong or recently converted fans of the Wildstorm Universe we have Jill Johansen a.k.a. Raye from Clark’s Bar. Jill is one of the regular’s at Clark’s Bar and is one who gets some great in depth discussions going on at the boards. She’s also really good at keeping up with posting news and she is an avid Apollo and Midnighter fan. Jill, gives us a quick background on why and when you started following Wildstorm.

00:02:08 – Ben continues with plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

Our podcast is 3 years old! It’s hard to believe it’s been 3 years since we started out at the Comic Addiction and they let us spin off into our own podcast. Thanks to our podcast “fathers” Chris Partin and Michael Smith who still host the Image Addiction podcast.

Artist Scott Clark passed away. He came on with the launch of the original Stormwatch in 1993 and was heavily associated with Wildstorm over the years. Most recently we covered his work on the Grifter title. He was only 43.

Inker Dave Beaty, who we interviewed a couple of months ago, has come to our Grifter Facebook page and offered to add some behind the scenes material. He recently added a couple of Scott Clark’s sketches for the book. Find the Grifter fan page on Facebook and follow it so you can check it out.

Superman: Unbound releases on DVD & Blu-ray on May 7th and it has a preview of the next DC animated movie, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Grifter had a small role in the comic story Flashpoint so whether or not he’ll get a cameo in the movie remains to be seen.

Newsarama reported that there will be a Planetary Omnibus, a comprehensive collection of the Warren Ellis/John Cassaday series that will include the core series as well as Planetary: Crossing Worlds. No release date announced yet. (thanks to John Pannozzi from Clark’s Bar for the info)

Kurt Busiek’s Astro City returns with a new ongoing series in June. While not a Wildstorm Universe title, Astro City did make its debut under the Wildstorm imprint and had several mini-series afterward.

Brett Booth snuck a picture of Backlash on the cover of Nightwing #21, where Booth will become the regular artist.

And finally the DC Heroclix: Teen Titans set is out and we have first looks at some of Ravagers and Gen 13 figures in the news section of our site. Be sure to check those out if you haven’t already.

00:08:00 – Our guest and friend of the show, Jill Johansen, starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #18. Released on 3/06, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad and cover by Ken Lashley and Matt Yackey.

00:22:42 – Joe reviews Ravagers #10. Released on 3/13, written by Michael Alan Nelson with art by Ig Guara and Diogenes Neves, and cover by Ken Lashley.

00:38:15 – Ben gives his review of Team 7 #6. Released on 3/13, written by Jesus Merino and art by Pascal Alixe, Cliff Richards, Gui Balbi & Juan Castro with cover by Gary Frank, Cam Smith, and Brad Anderson.

00:51:55 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #18’s that have released this month.

00:56:53 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 4/03

STORMWATCH #19 Team StormWatch is lost in a dimension shift—so what team will rise and take their place?

For the week of 4/10

RAVAGERS #11 The latest creature to escape from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. brings death to The Ravagers—but is it animal, vegetable or mineral?

TEAM 7 #7 What new member, who threatens to tear the team apart, is welcomed into The New 52?

DEATHSTROKE #19 Which teens are the only ones deadly enough to stop Deathstroke?

00:58:42 – Ben gives some quick shout out’s starting with Chris Striker’s The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at http://theauthority.ws. Also check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.imageaddiciton.net And get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com and our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast. Joe guest-hosted Ep. 4 last month and will be on the upcoming Ep. 5 as well.

01:01:03 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below.The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Joe will be at Pax East in Boston, Massachusetts March 22-24 helping to promote his friend’s upcoming video game Mech Knight Chronicles which is frm Dinosaur Games. They can be found at www.dinosaurentertainment.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/03/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-45/feed/2Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #18, Ravagers #10 and Team 7 #6, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #18, Ravagers #10 and Team 7 #6, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52! This month on our "Friends of Wildstorm" series, where we bring on a lifelong or recently converted fans of the Wildstorm Universe we have Jill Johansen a.k.a. Raye from Clark's Bar. Jill is one of the regular's at Clark's Bar and is one who gets some great in depth discussions going on at the boards. She's also really good at keeping up with posting news and she is an avid Apollo and Midnighter fan. Jill, gives us a quick background on why and when you started following Wildstorm.<br />
<br />
Ben welcomes everyone to episode #45 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:05:14DC Heroclix: Teen Titans- Harvesthttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/03/dc-heroclix-teen-titans-harvest/
Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:21:23 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3426Continue reading →]]>Today, Wiz Kids starts their round of Ravagers previews by giving us the bane of this team’s existence. Here is Harvest, the mastermind behind the organization N.O.W.H.E.R.E. which is responsible for the creation of The Ravagers. The resourcefulness and power of this villain are more than accurately represented and may even reveal that Harvest is a lot more powerful than we may have thought.

First off, his figure is a whopping 263 points! He’s just 37 points shy of a 300 point team build. So in essence, Harvest is almost like a one-man army. And the powers and abilities they give him throughout reiterate that on a very dangerous combat dial. He has the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. key word and can use the team abilities of any friendly characters who have the same key word. They have taken his great intelligence into consideration by making sure he has Outwit in one form or another through out his dial. His powers read like the Heroclix manual as he goes from Incapacitate to Penetrating/Psychic to Blade/Claws/Fangs to Running Shot. They’ve even made it harder to hit him as he can defend with Impervious or Invulnerability. And if he chooses not to fight, he can easily get away with some clicks of Phasing/Teleport.

But one thing that is very unique about Harvest is his ability to use a relic in the game. In this case it’s his staff. It allows him to use Incapacitate and Outwit. When using Incapacitate Harvest gets +1 to his attack. If you give Harvest a power action you may choose a power; that power is countered on all characters within 5 squares. If you give Harvest a double power action and choose a character within 10 squares and line of fire; deal that character 1 unavoidable damage and all of its powers and abilities are countered until your next turn. This just adds to an already insanely powerful figure.

Well, we hope the mighty Harvest here impressed you. You can find more details about him here. But even more so, we hope the combined might of The Ravagers can stand against him. We already got an early look at Terra here, but be watching for more Ravagers figures to be previewed this week.

]]>DC Heroclix: Teen Titans- Fairchild & Grungehttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/03/dc-heroclix-teen-titans-fairchild-grunge/
Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:30:27 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3411Continue reading →]]>Wiz Kids has completed the roster for the original Gen 13 kids today by adding the stats for Fairchild and Grunge. Once again, Wiz Kids has taken great care in not only the sculpts and likenesses of our favorite teen heroes, but also in the design of the their powers which accurately represent them from the comics.

Fairchild is up first and much like Freefall, Wiz Kids hilariously decided to give her a special ability to mimic an incident that happened to Fairchild more than once in her adventures. She has a special ability called, “My Clothes Always Rip & Then Everybody Stares” in which she is allowed to use Shape Change but only with a roll of a 6. This represents the fact that in the comics Fairchild can increase her size and strength, but it’s normally at the cost of the clothes she’s wearing. A unique feature to her is that she can be played at either 100 or 75 points. I’ve been out of the game for a while so this is a new feature I’m not familiar with. The rest of her powers are present in her dial with Leap/Climb, Super Strength, and a couple of instances of Impervious and Invulnerability to show how tough she is in battle. Even Fairchild’s intelligence is accounted for by giving her outwit to be able to get past some of her opponents powers.

And the last, but certainly not least, member of the team is Grunge. His powers were probably a challenge to accurately represent and even though when the card system was first introduced several years back I didn’t really like it, I can see now that characters like Grunge could not exist in this game without the card system. They start him off with Phasing/Teleporting and Super Strength but then give him an ability called Molecular Absorption. This is pretty cool because it allows him to attack an object and mimic gaining its properties by gaining Toughness if it was a light object or Invulnerability if it was a heavy object. This was a very creative way to display his powers in the game. They even took his photographic memory into account and gave him Perplex and later on he gets to show is Kung Fu skills with Close Combat Expert. Again, a superb job with Wiz Kids doing their homework on these characters.

Well, that’ s it for the Gen 13 kids. You can check out more about them here. And we’ll be watching for more of The Ravagers hopefully being previewed soon.

]]>DC Heroclix: Teen Titans-Freefall, Burnout, & Rainmakerhttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/03/dc-heroclix-teen-titans-freefall-burnout-rainmaker/
Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:51:44 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3396Continue reading →]]>We previously shared the Gen 13 team base stats here but Wiz Kids has provided some individual stats for some of the members. We have stats for Freefall, Burnout, and Rainmaker. Each of their personalities is perfectly captured in their power sets and the sculpts for the figures look great!

First up is Freefall. She starts off with a hilariously unqiue ability called, “I don’t know why, but I love Grunge”. This allows her at the beginning of her turn to attack any character that did damage to Grunge in the previous turn as a free action. I love this little detail! It really shows the designers know these characters. Freefall’s dial continues on as it accurately represents her powers by utilizing Force Blast, Telekinesis, and Energy Shield/Deflection. She is a mere 66 points and that is a bargain for what she can do.

Next we have Burnout. He doesn’t have any uniquely funny abilities like Freefall did but he does have all his powers accounted for in his dial. He starts off with Running Shot and Barrier which allow him to move and attack and keep a strong defense when your opponent retaliates. Even if he chooses to stand still, his Ranged Combat Expert allows him to do more damage. He does have a dangerous ability called Catch Fire which incorporates Energy Explosion that can hit multiple targets and perfectly simulates Burnout’s ability to turn up the heat when surrounded! He’s a little more expensive at 76 points but spending those extra points will be well worth it.

Finally, we have Rainmaker. She has a unique ability called Uninhibited. This allows her to move past any enemy unhindered which mimics her ability to control the elements including the winds which allow her to fly. She too has Running Shot and Ranged Combat Expert which simulate her control of thunder and lightning. She even has Smoke Cloud to simulate a cloud of thick fog. Of this trio, she’s the most expensive at 80 points but it’s probably because she’s lethal even until the end of her dial where she gets Energy Explosion and can even target up to 3 characters at one point!

You can check out more at Wiz Kids main site here and watch for the last two members of Gen 13 to show up later this week.

Wow! I am so bummed this title is ending. Jordan kicked it into high gear last issue and keeps the momentum going here. We do get rotating artists once again but the story kept me so intrigued I didn’t notice it as much (even though there were 4 different artists). He also continues to give some truly oh **** moments that I absolutely love.

Damn you DC for ending this title so early! Jordan is taking these final issues of the series and going for broke! First up, he has a character die that makes no sense because that particular character exists in the current New 52. So I can’t wait for him to explain that one! It’s also a no-brainer that with the title ending, some of the characters I expected to die have started, but then there’s others that are dying and they haven’t shown up in the present New 52. Which means their death may be permanent (well, as permanent as comic deaths can be). It’s this beautiful confusion that makes this issue so great because Jordan has presented so many questions I want answered!

I also love the horror movie feel Jordan went with for this storyline. It’s creepy and also sets up for some gruesome moments for some of the characters. It also has a cool re-imagining of a character who was an old Superman villain (I won’t spoil who it is, but it is very creepy and cool). The characters that are surviving all this are truly earning their bad-ass status.

The ending was a little confusing but I think it was meant to be to get to the shocker of which character makes their New 52 debut at the end! Of all the series that have been cancelled since the New 52 started, this one has kept me excited even with the news of the cancellation. That to me, is great story-telling! Take us out with a bang Mr. Jordan!

With the news of the title’s cancellation hanging over the issue like a gloomy storm cloud, the latest outing for the new creative team was not as strong as it had been in previous issues. There were some nice twists and turns in the issue but overall the disarray in DC’s editorial department seems to have caught up with this title.

After praising writer Michael Alan Nelson for his inaugural two issues, a strange decision was apparently made with this issue. Nelson is only credited for the plot but Tony Bedard is credited for the dialogue. Now, I’ve seen this before in the Grifter title but there I understood it because Liefeld has his attention split between several titles and needed Frank Tieri to help with dialogue. But here, I’m at a loss why they’d split the writing duties. It may be that they had already informed Nelson about the title’s cancellation at this point and had him start working on his next assignment: Supergirl. But I guess we’ll find out next month if the writing duties are split again.

Now, Bedard’s dialogue wasn’t horrible, but I could tell a difference between his style and Nelson’s. There were also several strange story choices here. They had an interesting revelation for one character that I thought was kind of neat. But then we get the return of another character with a very clean, straight-forward explanation. It almost felt like DC told them, bring this character back as quickly as possible and don’t worry about the explanation. It was just a very weird moment that seemed to come out of left field. There are two characters who start a relationship that I thought was kind of cool as well.

The artists are also split in the issue. Now Guara’s and Neves’ styles are not too drastically different so to have the two different artists wasn’t visually jarring. But I have to wonder are most modern artists just not able to keep monthly schedules anymore? The solicits do mention Deathstroke and he does appear some here. Deathstroke #18 was originally supposed to tie into this issue, but has since had its story (and cover) changed. More strange last minute changes by DC.

It’s a shame this title is on its way out but if you don’t give a title a chance to get its footing, what else do you expect? Hopefully these last few issues will be enjoyable at least. In the announcements of the cancellation it was mentioned that we’d find out more about Rose Wilson and Fairchild. I look forward to what that is and if it’ll lead to a new book.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

]]>DC Heroclix: Teen Titans-Terra & Gen 13http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/03/dc-heroclix-teen-titans-terra-gen-13/
Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:18:45 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3368Continue reading →]]>A couple of Heroclix releases featured over the last couple of days. We previously announced that as part of the DC Heroclix: Teen Titans set that The Ravagers and Gen 13 would be part of the set. Here are the released stats for both.

Yesterday, Terra was given a feature at the Wiz Kids website. Terra’s powers are accurately portrayed by using such Heroclix staples as Phasing/Teleport, Force Blast, and Pulse Wave to mimic Terra’s control of the ground beneath her feet. She also has the ability to use the Earth as her defense by using powers like Energy Shield/ Deflection and Defend. Check out more of her stats here:

Next up, is the Gen 13 team base. The team base is a new concept being introduced with this set. It allows you to use the assets of each team member on the base instead of having them all in a separate force. You can have all the members on the base or subtract some if you need a lower point value team. And having certain members on the base give the team powers like using Fairchild gives Super Strength to mimic her in-comic powers or Rainmaker gives you Energy Explosion to simulate her control of the elements. This is a still a new concept to and not one I’ve fully grasped yet. But it seems like an interesting dynamic and one I hope to test out in game play when I get my hand on these figures.

After a tumultuous year and a half since the New 52 started, Stormwatch has survived…but just barely. After many editorial and creative team changes (happening once again next month), Peter Milligan and Will Conrad deliver their final issue and do their best to wrap everything up.

Here it is, the lone survivor of the mass of cancelled Wildtorm-related titles in the New 52. It even outlasted titles that launched later. Stormwatch as a title has struggled to find it’s legs and while Milligan’s run started off really strong, it soon started to lose steam. It wasn’t until we found out this was Milligan’s last issue that certain storylines being wrapped up so quickly started to make sense. This also quickly became the dumping ground for characters who once appeared in other titles. Zealot was a decent addition but now will only have limited time because of the creative team change next month. Then O.M.A.C. appeared at the end of last issue (seen in issue preview so no spoiler) but there is really no reason for him to be here. His inclusion only served for Zealot, Apollo, and Midnighter to have someone to physically fight in their battle against The Engineer.

Speaking of The Engineer, I’m not sure I like what they’ve done with her. Over in Ravagers, they made Warblade a villain and for some reason that didn’t bother me much. But here, I’m sad they chose do to that with The Engineer. The handling of all the characters in general, regardless of the fact they are not their pre-New 52 selves, never really did resonate well.

Now art wise, I can say that Will Conrad was in top form here. Not only did he get to illustrate the entire issue again, I think he may have put more into since he knew it was his last. I’ve enjoyed his art since he came on the book and he’ll be an asset to whatever book he gets assigned next.

Overall, it was a decent ending to the run. The book really did become the Midnighter and Apollo show which is not necessarily a good thing, because it’s supposed to be a team book. Don’t get me wrong, I love the characters, but if you want to focus on them this much, give them their own book. Unfortunately, based on what upcoming writer Jim Starlin has indicated, none of this may matter after next month’s story begins. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see what that entails.

00:00:00 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #44 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. This our first of hopefully many, “Friends of Wildstorm” episodes where we bring on a lifelong or recently converted fan of the Wildstorm Universe. They hash out the recent news, issues, and give us their reviews right along side of us. There is no better way to start off this inaugural endeavor than by starting it off with thee O.G. Wildstorm fan himself, Chris Striker. Founder of theauthority.ws and stormwatch.ws fansites, as well as the numero uno hangout for Wildstorm fans far and wide, the Clark’s Bar comics forum.

00:02:16 – Joe continues with plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

First up, the original Stormwatch #1 launched 20 years ago in 1993. Happy Anniversary to our favorite protectors of the planet!

Jim Starlin revealed his gatefold cover for April’s Stormwatch #19 and it lived up to it’s WTF certified status (which is what all the covers for April were marked as). There is an alternate version of Apollo and Midnighter (whether or not these are the actual Wildstorm versions remains to be seen but their costumes are a dead ringer) and we get the New 52 debut of Hellstrike. We also get a male Engineer and a new century baby called Jenny Soul. Three other new characters are the identified as Storm Control, the Forecaster, and Starlin’s own creation called The Weird. Source via: ComicBookResources

And if that’s not enough Stormwatch for you, All-Star Western #20 has another Stormwatch back-up. Be sure to pick up All-Star Western #17 on February 27th to see the first Stormwatch back-up!

And now after all of the good news, we’re here to turn it around and continue the crotch kicking that has become the norm as a regular Wildstorm fan…

Not one, but TWO titles are being cancelled with Team 7 and Ravagers in May! Talk about WTF!! I guess I jinxed us when I said we were going to be the Stormwatch podcast. BUT the Team 7 #8 solicit released a spoiler when it mentions Majestic as one of the characters that parts ways with the others in this issue. Deathstroke is also being cancelled but issues 18, 19, & 20 will feature the Ravagers. DC Comics Editor-In-Chief Bob Harras: “We have plans. We have Beast Boy in there, we have Terra, you’re going to see them in other titles in upcoming months. Caitlin Fairchild, you’re going to learn things about her — so again, not to sound like a broken record, but these characters will be ongoing. We have interesting things planned for them, and I think some of them will be very surprising.”

The Wildstorm Resource Wiki is dead for now. It was shut down on us with no warning and the creator James has tried to contact Wetpaint with no luck. Their could be a variety of reasons why they shut us down, we could have been using too much space under the free service, Wetpaint also just got bought out and seems to have been re-branded as a TV-only Wiki. Whatever the reason, the chances of us recovering the Wiki are slim to none at this point. (GRRRR!!!! We may be able to scrape it by hand from the wayback machine… Let’s go troops we have some work to do! Last snapshot was in July of 2012) http://web.archive.org/web/20120721014549/http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com/

00:08:39 – our guest and friend of the show, Chris Striker, starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #17. Released on 2/06, written by Peter Milligan with art and cover by Will Conrad.

00:17:48 – Ben reviews Ravagers #9. Released on 2/13, written by Michael Alan Nelson with art by Ig Guara and cover by Ken Lashley.

00:30:03 – Joe gives his review of Team 7 #5. Released on 2/13, written by Jesus Merino & Nei Ruffino and Pascal Alixe & Nathan Erying with cover by Gary Frank & Cam Smith. (MAJESTIC destroyed an entire country!?!?! Are we going to get to see him?!?!)

00:48:22 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #17’s that have released this month.

2/06 Young Romance: A New 52 Valentine’s Day Special #1 – Apollo and Midnighter, “Seoul Brothers”

00:49:17 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 3/06

STORMWATCH #18 The team battles one of their own for their very survival! The relationship of Midnighter and Apollo hits a rough patch when the Amazon-like Zealot joins the team!

For the week of 3/13

RAVAGERS #10 Someone claiming to be Terra’s brother comes to the team. Unfortunately, Deathstroke the Terminator isn’t far behind him! The Ravagers are having serious trust issues already, so a visit from the world’s deadliest assassin certainly won’t help!

TEAM 7 #6 In the tale from the recent past, Team 7 is on a mission to rescue Caitlin Fairchild when a team member dies! And in the present day, Deathstroke hunts down his former Team 7 partners! But why?

DEATHSTROKE #18 Finally! Deathstroke vs. The Teen Titans! You want more? You got more, as The Ravagers join the fight!

00:50:01 – Joe gives some quick shout out’s starting with Chris Striker’s The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at http://theauthority.ws. Also check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.imageaddiciton.net And get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com and our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast. I guest-hosted episode #3 last month and will be on the upcoming episode #4 as well.

00:00:00 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below. The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Joe will be at Pax East in Boston, Massachusetts March 22-24 helping to promote his friend’s upcoming video game Mech Knight Chronicles which is from Dinosaur Games. They can be found at www.dinosaurentertainment.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/02/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-44/feed/4Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #17, Ravagers #9 and Team 7 #5, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52!...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #17, Ravagers #9 and Team 7 #5, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52! This our first of hopefully many, "Friends of Wildstorm" episodes where we bring on a lifelong or recently converted fan of the Wildstorm Universe. They hash out the recent news, issues, and give us their reviews right along side of us. There is no better way to start off this inaugural endeavor than by starting it off with thee O.G. Wildstorm fan himself, Chris Striker. Founder of theauthority.ws and stormwatch.ws fansites, as well as the numero uno hangout for Wildstorm fans far and wide, the Clark's Bar comics forum.<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #36 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean55:59Artist Scott Clark passes awayhttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/02/artist-scott-clark-passes-away/
Sat, 23 Feb 2013 17:50:38 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3340Continue reading →]]>Yesterday, the comic world suffered a great loss as artist Scott Clark passed away at the age of only 43. In general, it is already a terrible thing not only for the family, but for those who knew him in the comic community. But it hits a little closer to home for those of us here at Wildstorm Addiction.

Scott Clark was one of the pioneer artists that came out of Wildstorm during the early 90’s Image Comics boom. We just mentioned on our recent podcast that March marks the 20th anniversary of the original Stormwtach #1. This was Clark’s first foray into Wildstorm and he stayed closely tied to the imprint over the years that followed. I have many fond memories of discussing Clark’s art with my friends. He definitely had a unique style and I was always happy when I saw it pop up over the years. Our condolences go out to his family and friends. You will be missed Scott.

Team 7 has been amazing these last couple of issues. Justin Jordan really hit his stride with the characters and started infusing some interesting things in the New 52’s past. But rather than let the title continue with its newfound momentum, DC decides to announce its cancellation. It’s unbelievable at this point but thankfully Jordan’s greatness out-weighted the bad news for this issue.

Simultaneously this month, Ravagers is being cancelled. Now as much as I didn’t want it to happen, with declining sales and almost a year’s worth of issues, I can understand that Ravagers’ cancellation ( a little). But Team 7? It just launched in Sept.’s Zero Month, just 5 months ago!!! It did have sort of a rocky start but I thought the creative team pulled it together to give us a great conclusion to the first story arc last month. So how DC can decide to cancel this great title so prematurely is beyond me.

I know one complaint people have had with the title is the lack of a consistent artist. I can see how that would annoy some people. It’s one thing to have a regular artist for a few issues and then have a fill-in artist, but so far it’s jumped back and forth between three artists. No offense to the artists who did work on the title so far, but I wish they would’ve brought on a big name artist to compliment Jordan. That probably could’ve saved the book.

Ok, enough of my moaning. Let’s focus on this issue for a bit. I love how it jumps from the present day New 52, to fives years ago. This is a great way to start transitioning the title to present day and hopefully start answering some questions about all these characters. The solicits have let us know that Ladytron and Spartan will be showing up in this book. I love the set up for how Ladytron gets her name and it involves Caitlin Fairchild. I also love the mystery they’ve set up with who and what Spartan really is. There are also some really creepy elements to the story and I was surprised by some of the horror-like aspects.

The solicits have let us know that as far as Wildstorm characters, we’ve got Ladytron, Spartan, and Majeistc showing up in this arc. Jordan voiced his love of the original Team 7 and the Wildstorm Universe in general when he first got the book so it’s no surprise that he has added so many Wildstorm characters in the book. But it seems the curse of Wildstorm continues as they keep getting their books cancelled. If you haven’t read the news about Jim Starlin taking over Stormwatch, I think that book would’ve been on the chopping block too if not for Starlin coming on board. It’s too bad they didn’t make a similar concerted effort to save some of these other cancelled titles.

But much like Ravagers, the current creative team has been cranking out some great stories. Even if this is the end for this title, I know Jordan is going to end with a bang! There was so much potential with this book and I really think DC dropped the ball on this one.

We’re treated to a quick wrap-up of the events from last issue as the new creative team of Nelson and Guara deliver another solid issue of Ravagers. Unfortunately, this comes on the heels of the announcement that the title will be cancelled soon. So despite being a good issue, it was hard to keep that knowledge from dampening my enjoyment.

I raved last month about how writer Michael Alan Nelson and artist Ig Guara were a breath of fresh air for this series. Well, that fresh air was quickly overpowered by the stink bomb news that Ravagers is ending with issue #12. I seem to recall DC doing something similar with the first round of New 52 titles that were cancelled. How they justify putting a new creative team on a book which is normally done to increase sales and then turn right around and cancel the book is beyond me. DC has been making a lot of questionable decisions across the board lately. But, let’s focus on the goodness of this issue.

Nelson set-up a story that is almost like superhero horror. I hesitate to use the word horror because it’s not the story elements that remind me of a horror movie, but more the setting. It’s a small town with a local sheriff who is trying his best to deal with the terribly unfortunate circumstances that are happening in his once quiet town. I like how when the Ravagers showed up, instead of getting caught up in yet another superhero battle, the sheriff takes command. It’s funny to see everyone’s reaction to this and left it open for some great character interactions.

Speaking of the characters, last issue Nelson portrayed Rose Wilson as being a little bit softer and even though Warblade addressed it in story, I still questioned it. Here it’s clear that Rose’s personality is softer and it’s the only complaint I had about the book (which to me is minor compared to all the other goodness we got). I can understand some of Rose’s points in the story but I think she wouldn’t been more harsh in how she handled them.

Overall, another good issue from the new creative team. Looks like we’ll only get three more from them until the end. But so far, they’ve proven that they will be really good ones!

After a somewhat lackluster previous issue, the series gets back on track as we get a shift in the villains, some much-lacked Jack Hawksmoor time, and a cool new addition to the book. All this was good enough to overshadow the fact that the solicitation for the issue was very misleading…or possibly premature. We’ll find out for sure next issue.

Last month I talked about how I thought the resolution to the Harry Tanner story seemed to resolve way too fast. Well, since then we’ve learned that next issue is Milligan’s last so that may have been the reason for the speedy resolution. This issue played out much better and I liked the shift in the relationship between Harry and The Engineer. Her role was another that we’ve been seeing develop for a while and I found it to be much more interesting this issue.

We also finally get a little, and I do emphasize little, Jack Hawksmoor action. For several issues now he has been relegated to the background. This has been such a shame because he is an amazing character with so much potential. Let’s hope he survives into the new creative team’s run.

Finally, we get the addition of another character (if you’ve seen the solicit to #18, you know who it is, if not, possible spoilers ahead). Of all the Wildstorm characters in the New 52 so far, Zealot was one that I felt got the shaft when she debuted in Deathstroke. Her role in that title was ok but she was dropped very quickly when she wasn’t needed anymore (ironically both in the real world and in story). Even in her short appearance here she felt more like herself. I was also surprised to learn she already knows Midnighter. I’m looking forward to learn more about that.

The big surprise of the issue was the end. I won’t spoil who it is but someone is sent after Stormwatch who was not mentioned in ANY of the solicits. All I’ll say is that it’s a character who had their title cancelled and this is just one of several appearances they’ve had in other books since then. It seems to be the continuation of DC’s attempt to keep characters active in the New 52 even if their books are cancelled.

I was also very happy that Will Conrad finally got to illustrate an entire issue again. For the past several months he’s had to share portions of the book with other artists. I assume it was to help keep the book on schedule. I think I’ve enjoyed his art the most of the artists we’ve gotten on the book so far. I know after talking to him at a con that Wildcats was one of his favorite Wildstorm books. So at least he got to draw one Wildcat (Zealot) before he ends his run.

This issue made me feel better about the Stormwatch title again. We have since learned that Jim Starlin will be taking over with issue #19 so I hope he can bring on some new readers to the title. In the meantime, I hope Milligan and Conrad’s run ends on a high note next month.

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #16, Grifter #16, and Ravagers #8, and Team 7 #4, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:00 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #43 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. (Surprised? We moved the intro music back a bit!)

00:01:50 – Ben gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

Wiz Kids was very generous to Wildstorm fans over the holidays. Not only did we get news of Gen 13 Heroclix, but we’re also getting Ravagers Heroclix and three more WildC.A.T.s figures including Spartan, Void, and Emp. Check out the News section of our website for more details.

Still a rumor, but Bleeding Cool reports that Jim Lee will do a Wildcats title after his Man of Steel title with Scott Snyder ends. This means it won’t be released until 2014.

In April, all New 52 issues will have fold-out covers. The solicits only show the front cover and each fold out is supposed to reveal something shocking. For example, Team 7 #7 shows Grifter, Deathstroke (in his modern costume), and Black Canary firing at something off screen. The issue also promises a new team member who is making their New 52 debut. Ravagers #11 has a similar cover with the team fighting something off screen and sports a cover by veteran artist Michael Golden. Stormwatch #19 does not have a final cover yet, but one noteworthy bit of news about this issue is that veteran artist/writer Jim Starlin will be taking over Stormwatch with Yvel Guichet on art. Starlin will provide art for the fold-out cover.

00:06:31 – Joe starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #16. Released on 1/09, written by Peter Milligan with art and cover by Will Conrad. Is this title starting to lose it’s luster? We sure hope not! Help us Jim Starlin, you’re our only hope!

00:16:00 – Ben continues the final issue of Grifter #16 (FINALLY!!). Released on 1/16, written by Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels and cover by Scott Clark. Joe tries to make sense of it, but what’s the point really?

00:33:04 – Joe reviews Ravagers #8. Released on 1/16, written by Michael Alan Nelson with art by Ig Guara and cover by Patrick Gleason.

00:43:16 – Ben reviews Team 7 #4. Released on 1/16, written by Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Merino and cover by Tyler Kirkham. (p.s. – Joe has his OMG Train Guy moment at 45:57; you don’t want to miss it!)

00:56:41 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #16’s that have released last month.

1/2 Savage Hawkman #15 – Pike appearance

1/16 Legion Lost #16 – Ravagers appearance

00:58:00 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 1/30

THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #16 “HAWKMAN: WANTED” crashed to its conclusion! Carter Hall can’t escape his past! Two worlds collide — with Hawkman caught in the middle! (last time we’ll see Pike?)

For the week of 2/06

STORMWATCH #17 Don’t miss this major turning point issue as everything changes! The death of a StormWatch member! The end of StormWatch headquarters!

YOUNG ROMANCE: A NEW 52 VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL #1 Romance is in the air in this very special Special! Wonder Woman consults Eros himself about her feelings for The Man of Steel. Barbara Gordon has always been too busy for romance, but could her role as Batgirl bring her back to the first guy she ever kissed? Following the events of “Death in the Family,” how can Catwoman ease Batman’s troubled soul? Aquaman makes waves as he treats his wife like a queen for a day. From the pages of STORMWATCH, Apollo and Midnighter celebrate Valentine’s Day separately but with each other in mind. Who—or what—stands between them? Dick Grayson and the daughter of Lucious Fox meet-cute! Plus: Perforated Valentine’s Day cards featuring the stars of these stories!

For the week of 2/13

RAVAGERS #9 As Thunder’s condition worsens, the rest of the team begins to wonder if Caitlin is helping him—or killing him!

TEAM 7 #5 The secret history of the DCU’s original Cyborg Program! Who is Spartan? And what is the threat of the Majestic Program? Slade Wilson takes his first steps down the path that will lead to his becoming Deathstroke!

For the week of 2/27

All-Star Western #17 Gather round for a lesson in the terrible secret history of Gotham City with Jonah Hex! Hex and Doctor Arkham are at the forefront as a disease threatens to destroy part of the city. The patient survival rate is looking pretty grim… Plus: In the backup story, meet Jenny Freedom and the StormWatch of the 19th century! (Jenny Freedom/Stormwatch back-up story)

00:59:38 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.imageaddiciton.net
And get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com and our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast.

01:01:32 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #16, Grifter #16, Ravagers #8, and Team 7 #4, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in t...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #16, Grifter #16, Ravagers #8, and Team 7 #4, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52!<br />
<br />
Ben welcomes everyone to episode #43 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:05:39Team 7 #4http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2013/01/team-7-4/
Thu, 17 Jan 2013 03:43:24 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3226Continue reading →]]>“Black Diamond Probability- Mission 1.4: The Possession of Slade Wilson “

Wow! Justin Jordan has really hit his stride with this title. He wraps up the first arc in grand style as we get an action packed thrill ride for the introduction of Eclipso into the New 52. Even Jesus Merino seemed to be on his A-game. This title is like G.I. Joe with superpowers and so far and it’s been great!

I’ll start with Jesus Merino’s art. I wasn’t too crazy about it in the opening issues of the series. But here it just seemed so much better. He hasn’t drawn the last couple of issues so I think all he needed was that extra time. You can tell even with his opening shot of Eclipso which I swear for a second reminded me of Brett Booth’s version of the character. Although to keep in line with the rest of the New 52, this seems to be a younger version of Eclipso.

And I love the way Justin Jordan writes Grifter! THIS is the Grifter I wanted in his solo series! Everything Grifter did in this issue is exactly how’d I’d picture him reacting to the situation. As much as I hated that Grifter’s solo series got cancelled, I am thankful that not only is the character still active in this book, he’s also in the hands of the an awesome writer. Thank you Justin for redeeming one of my favorite characters!

This really is a great issue all the way around. At first I was perplexed by the choice to add the character Essence to this story but as it unfolded I could see why they chose her. I also liked how the team finally came together and showed why John Lynch had faith in this group. Speaking of Lynch, there are ties to the Justice League Black Room (not a spoiler, it’s in the solicits), as well as the beginnings of Slade turning into Deathstroke, and finally we get a tease about something called the Majestic Project. Old Wildstorm fans will know why that’s relevant and we’ll see if Jordan takes that idea in the direction we’re all hoping.

This title has not just found its footing…now it’s sprinting! It was kind of a shaky start coming out of Zero Month and the constant change in artists, but for those who’ve held on, I hope you enjoyed the outcome as much as I did. And if you jumped off, at least finish this storyline. It’s only issue 4 after all. And next month, we get the introduction of another Wildcat into the DCU as we get Spartan! As if I needed more reasons to love this book!

The new creative team of writer Michael Alan Nelson and artist Ig Guara come on board with a more personal story than what we’re used to in this title. The focus shifts away from the regular team of Ravagers and focuses on Rose Wilson and Warblade. This allows for some great fleshing-out of these characters. That combined with some solid art by Guara makes for a nice kick-off to this run.

Anytime a book has a creative change, it can be a little awkward adjusting to the transition. Sometimes the new voice a writer brings can seem a out of place. I was concerned about this at first with the way Nelson was writing Rose. She’s been portrayed as tough-as-nails, no nonsense, take charge kind of girl in her appearances here as well as Teen Titans and Superboy. But in this issue she was portrayed as having a softer side which seemed out of place. But the saving grace for the change was when Warblade notices it in story. I’m glad it was addressed because now it makes me curious as to where Nelson will take Rose with this development.

Nelson also mentioned in interviews that he’s had the most fun writing Warblade. This is very evident in this issue as Warblade gets some great moments of dark humor. Of all the changes the Wildstorm characters introduced into the New 52, Warblade has been one of my favorites. At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like him as a villain but he seems to have grown on me.

Guara’s art is a perfect fit for this title. Sorry to say, but I wasn’t too crazy about the Patrick Gleason cover so I hope Guara gets a chance to do some covers in the future. Since this issue focused on the townspeople where the story took place as much as it did on Warblade and Rose, Guara had a chance to really expand his canvas. He even takes the few townspeople who aren’t on page for very long and gives them some real personality. This helps immensely when some of them don’t survive. Even though I haven’t known them but for more than a couple of panels, it actually made me feel bad when they died. That’s great collaboration between the artist and writer.

This was definitely a great start to this creative team’s run. I’m inclined to say it’s new reader friendly, but I think that’ll be more easily determined when the Ravagers actually show up next issue. Regardless, I think it’s a nice change of pace and I look forward to what Nelson and Guara have planned next.

Well, the crazy ride that has been the Grifter title comes to an end. After many ups and downs writer Frank Tieri is pinned with the near-impossible task of making it all make sense. Thankfully, he was afforded one last issue to do so and I think he did decent job considering everything.

This series is like a beautiful vase that started with lots of potential but along the way was smashed on the floor, glued back together, smashed again, and glued together once again. You can site multiple sources for this title’s failure but I’m going to focus on what we actually got instead of what we could’ve gotten (since I feel that’s been discussed to death). Tieri took all the different ideas about Grifter’s origins and brings it all back full circle so he can at least give us an ending of sorts. When a title is cancelled, it’s always nice when editorial gives the creative team enough lead time to craft an ending.

The ending finally does answer the question as to what Grifter is and shows his true purpose against the Daemonites. It still makes sense with what came before and for that alone I applaud Tieri. Grifter has been dragged through the mud in-story and in the real world. His decision at the end of the issue is appropriate, all things considered. But they also leave it open for more stories that could either be addressed in Team 7 or the rumored Wildcats title that may be coming next year.

There’s not too much more to say about this title at this point. As I said before, we could easily debate all day long about what caused the series demise. But, what’s done is done. I’m happy that Grifter still exists over in Team 7 so at least he won’t be absent from the DCU (unlike poor Voodoo who has since disappeared).

Overall, definitely more frustrated about this cancellation than I was with Voodoo. Grifter has been and will always be a cool character (as well as my favorite, next to Batman). But as with any other character, if he’s not done right, he cannot have success as a comic. Grifter’s in the hands of Justin Jordan now over in Team 7. Here’s to hoping he’ll get better treatment there.

The saga of Harry Tanner vs. Stormwatch comes to a head this issue. It’s a storyline that’s been building since Paul Cornell’s original run. But the build-up may have hurt the story in the end. Even the twist at the end with one of the characters (which was kind of ruined by the solicits) isn’t enough pay-off. But despite these things, still another decent issue of Stormwatch.

I’m going to start off by focusing on something I think has been extremely consistent in the last few months which is Will Conrad’s art. I love his rendition of the characters and he’s gotten to draw some awesome scenes during his run. However, due to time constraints I would imagine, he’s had fill-in artists help him finish each issue. Now the fill-in artists have not been bad at all. Here we have Eduardo Pansica and Julio Ferreira. If we must have fill-in artists, I’m glad they got some that match Conrad’s style. I think Conrad is one of the best artists DC has right now and I’m glad to see he’s going to be doing Stormwatch for a while.

Now, concerning the story. This is the climax of the Harry Tanner vs. Stormwatch storyline which has been in the background of the title since Cornell’s run ended at issue 6. I have been thoroughly enjoying it because I have enjoyed Harry as a villain. Some complained that he fooled Stormwatch too easily but I argued that by the nature of his powers, he would be able to fool everyone except Midnighter. And that’s exactly what happened. However, because it’s been built-up for so long, the ironic thing is I felt it was wrapped up too fast. I wanted to see more of Harry manipulating Stormwatch but it’s obvious they wanted to move on to the twist.

Now, the change in one of the characters that creates the twist for the issue is not far-fetched because it’s feeding off of something Milligan planted at the beginning of his run. My disappointment is that this development was spoiled by solicits of future issues. So it kind of killed the surprise. That aside, while most people will not like where this character is going, I have to admit it’s an interesting twist. I just hope it’ll play out well.

Stormwatch is still a solid title and I’m hoping for the best, but I can’t help but worry with the declining monthly sales. I can easily see how this book could morph into The Authority title just like it did in the old Wildstorm Universe, but I’m not sure if that’s what DC intends to do. Regardless, I hope they keep these characters going because with the Voodoo and Grifter titles gone, it’s the only original New 52 launch title pulled from Wildstorm that’s left. Here’s to hoping!

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #15, Grifter #15,Team 7 #3, and Ravagers #7, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #42 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:19 – Joe continues with plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

Brett Booth continued his 20 years celebration since Jim Lee hired him at his blog by posting two more sketches after his Grifter pic we mentioned last month. He posted a Taboo and Zealot sketch. He also mentioned that he hopes to get Backlash introduced into the New 52 sometime in 2013. http://demonpuppy.blogspot.com/2012/11/happy-sketch-saturday-its.html

March brings more Wildstorm goodness into the New 52 as Team 7 #6 features the debut of Ladytron! The issue also mentions that Caitlin Fairchild will be showing up and there will also be a modern day story where Deathstroke is hunting down his former Team 7 teammates (the cover shows Grifter impaled by Deathstroke’s sword). Stormwatch #18 features appearance by Zealot as the team appears to be fighting The Engineer and Deathstroke #18 features Warblade and The Ravagers and seems to tie-in with Ravagers #10 which also mentions Deathstroke.

March also sees the release of The Authority Vol. 1-HC collecting #1-12 which is all of Warren Ellis’ run, the solicit mentions Mark Millar, but his run didn’t start until #13. (it’s odd because the Vol. 2 Stormwatch HC, which chronologically comes before these stories, has been pushed back to Summer 2013).

Finally, we got a super advance look at trades coming out next summer. In May we get Grifter Vol. 2: New Found Power which collects #0, & 9-16 and The Ravagers Vol. 1: The Kids from N.O.W.H.E.R.E which collects #0-7. In June we get Deathstroke Vol. 2: Lobo Hunt which collects #0, & 9-14 (which debuted Zealot). We also get double Stormwatch as we get the softcover release of Vol. 1 which collects Warren Ellis’ #37-47 and Stormwatch Vol. 2-HC which says collects #48-49 ( no #50 which is the last part of the Change or Die storyline?) and the second Stormwatch series #1-11. In July we get Team 7 Vol. 1: Fight Fire with Fire which collects #0-7 and Superman Vol. 2: Secrets & Lies HC which collects #7-12 and the infamous Superman Annual #1. August sees Legion Lost Vol. 2: The Culling which collects #0, and #8-16 and The Savage Hawkman Vol. 2: Wanted which collects #0-14 (debut of Pike).

And last but certainly not least, we got more good news from the Heroclix front. We’ll be seeing Gen 13 Heroclix some time in the near future. Wiz Kids released an image with a bunch of preview figures which included the prototype figures for all 5 original Gen 13 kids!

00:13:29 – Ben starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #15. Released on 12/05, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad and Cliff Richards, cover by Will Conrad.

00:32:38 – Joe reviews Grifter #15. Released on 12/12, written by Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels and cover by Scott Clark.

01:18:00 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 1/09

STORMWATCH #16 Midnighter must die! The unthinkable happens when StormWatch’s mission to capture the renegade Midnighter turns into an assassination plot! Don’t miss the stunning (and permanent) transformation of a StormWatch member!

For the week of 1/16

GRIFTER #16 Last Issue! The conspiracy surrounding Cole Cash has unraveled and you won’t believe who stands at the center of it all!

RAVAGERS #8 Welcome new series writer Michael Alan Nelson (Fall of Cthulhu, 28 Days Later)! Rose Wilson and Warblade are hunting a rogue Ravager when it accidentally infects an entire community! What happens here will affect their future with the Colony forever!

TEAM 7 #4 At last, it’s the secret origin of Deathstroke! The team clashes with Eclipso and Slade Wilson! Witness the beginnings of the Black Room from Justice League!

LEGION LOST #16 Superboy and The Ravagers guest-star! In order to save billions of lives, the Lost Legionnaires must decide if they are willing to sacrifice millions when they detonate a bomb that will destroy the alien machine from Daggor! Plus, more on the origin of Harvest!

01:19:42 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker’s Stormwatch site which is http://stormwatch.ws/ and remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at http://theauthority.ws. Also check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.imageaddiciton.net

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/12/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-42/feed/1Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #15, Grifter #15, Ravagers #7 and Team 7 #3, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in th...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #15, Grifter #15, Ravagers #7 and Team 7 #3, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52!<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #36 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:22:34DC HeroClix: Streets of Gotham-Spartan,Void, & Emphttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/12/dc-heroclix-streets-of-gotham-spartan-void/
Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:47:47 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3166Continue reading →]]>

Wiz Kids is just being extremely generous during this holiday season! Now we’ve got pics of Spartan and Void figures which will be part of the upcoming Streets of Gotham set. Once again these are the classic versions of the characters (although Spartan is set to debut in the DCU New 52 with February’s Team 7 #5) and they seem to have done a good job of matching up their abilities for the game.

Spartan is a hefty 125 points (more than the Maul figure was!) but it seems to be because he has some pretty tough clix. On top of that he’s got Super Strength, Charge, Flurry, Invulnerability, and later Toughness to show how resilient he can be in battle. And when he nears K.O. he has Regeneration to simulate his ability to repair his body. He also uses Leadership and Perplex off his card which can give your opponent some major headaches during battle. I am surprised they didn’t giving him a flying ability though. Also, two noteworthy things about the figure, instead of simply calling him Spartan, he’s called Spartan Warrior Spirit. This is strange because not only is this not his name, but name comes from a comic mini-series of the same name from 1995. And aside from being listed as part of the WildC.A.T.s on his card, he’s also listed as part of a Stormwatch (to reflect his short time with that team). Could this be a tease for an upcoming Stormwatch set?

Void is a much more affordable at 70 points but it is (ironically) because she’s a weaker figure. Now, it’s hard to call Void weak when she wields the power of the Orb, one of the most powerful items in the old Wildstorm Universe. But what they’ve done is made her weak in hand-to-hand combat (which makes sense) but made her strong in her other powers. She can use the Carry ability to fly up to 4 players with her which accurately mimics her teleporting abilities. This can be used to move a dangerous group of allies in quickly and reek havoc on your opponent. Her teleporting abilities are further represented with her Phasing ability which make walls meaningless to her. To further help her teammates she can use her Barrier ability to deflect attacks and should she start taking damage, she can use Regeneration to heal. Finally, her trio of Outwit, Probability Control, and Super Senses can frustrate your opponent by causing re-rolls or using your own dice to roll out of difficult situations.

UPDATE: 12/19/12

Apparently, I missed the post of the Lord Emp figure so here he is! At 93 points Emp is a good figure to have as support for your team (which accurately represents him from the comic). Emp has Outwit and Perplex, two powers which can greatly benefit your teammates and hinder your opponent at the same time. And if they go after Emp, he’s not easy to take out with his Stealth ability. He also has Regeneration and Invulnerability which reminds your opponent, it’s not easy to kill a Kherabim High Lord. He rounds out the WildC.A.T.s nicely and makes the original team complete.

]]>Ravagers Heroclix are coming!http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/12/ravagers-heroclix-are-coming/
Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:50:06 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3160Continue reading →]]>Wiz Kids just keeps the early Christmas presents coming as they announced today the release of The Ravagers as part of the Teen Titans Heroclix. The set includes Caitlin Fairchild, Ridge, Thunder, Lightning, Beast Boy, and Terra. It’ll be interesting to see if they use the team dial system as we’ve seen so far with Gen 13, Teen Titans, and Red Hood and the Outlaws. Too bad the theme is obviously teens for the set or else I would’ve liked a Stormwatch team. Oh well, at the rate Wiz Kids is going I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a Stormwatch release sometime in the near future. Until then, check out the pics of the figures below:

Show Notes:
Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy give an interview with the current inker on Grifter, Dave Beaty. We chat with about the rise and fall of this Wildstorm character in the new DCU 52.

00:00:36 – Ben welcomes everyone to a special episode #41.5 and welcomes Dave to the podcast. We apologize for the audio quality on this interview, this was our first attempt spanning three different time zones(probably not true) and my bandwidth couldn’t quite keep up(definitely true!) and Dave seemed to have some background his in his microphone. Alas, there is good information to be gleaned from this worthy artist and the show must go on!

00:01:32 – Joe gets it started by asking Dave how he broke into the industry as an inker after having seen some overlap and confusion about Scott Beaty on the internet for some of the main comic book databases.

00:05:16 – Ben wonders how hard is it to transition between pencilers on the same book.

00:08:09 – Ben asks Dave to get a bit more specific by explaining some of the tools he used and more of the process with the inking step in the production.

00:15:39 – Joe wonders what Rob leaving may have done to the fate of the title being cancelled. He also wonders with his absence did DC make a conscience effort to downplay some of the Wildstorm introduction into the new DCU 52 such as Voodoo’s cancellation, Zealot’s quick disappearance, very small cameo’s of Pike, change in direction for Team 7, and the quick dismissal of the Daemonite presence from the DCU after such an obvious build-up in major titles through-out the first year.

00:23:28 – Ben like to discuss the ever closing distance between creators and fans with the proliferation of social media beyond the simple forum. He wants to know Dave’s thoughts on where this relationship will head in the future of comics.

00:28:53 – Always liking to go out on a light note we checked out the honors and achievements on your website www.davebeaty.com. We want to know…are you in fact a ninja?

00:40:51 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and Shadowman.

And now Valiant has TWICE the coverage as our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com have started a new podcast covering Valiant comics called Valiant Future. These guys are Comic Addiction veterans so head over and check them out!

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/12/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-41-5-interview-with-dave-beaty/feed/2Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy give an interview with the current inker on Grifter, Dave Beaty. We chat with about the rise and fall of this Wildstorm character in t...Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy give an interview with the current inker on Grifter, Dave Beaty. We chat with about the rise and fall of this Wildstorm character in the new DCU 52. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean44:24Gen 13 Heroclix are coming!http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/12/gen-13-heroclix-are-coming-2/
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/12/gen-13-heroclix-are-coming-2/#commentsThu, 13 Dec 2012 18:54:06 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3119Continue reading →]]>There is not an official annoucement yet but I figured Wiz Kids wouldn’t go through the trouble of posting this if it wasn’t a sure thing. Wiz Kids on Facebook told fans recently that if they reached 13,000 likes on their page they would reveal some exclusive content. Well it did so they did. They released an image that had a ton of upcoming figures but the one that caught our attention was prototypes for the Gen 13 kids!

Sorry that the pic isn’t the best, but it’s the largest copy Wiz Kids posted. But Wiz Kids confirmed it’s the Gen 13 group. After zooming it in for you guys it appears we have the whole team! From left to right, I see Freefall with Grunge in front of her. Then Fairchild, Burnout and Rainmaker. I’d have to assume they’ll be treated just like the WildC.A.T.s Heroclix and they’ll have their classic uniforms. They’ll obviously be part of a future DC set but I’m hoping that it’ll be something we see in 2013 (hmmm, Gen 13? 2013? Is it providence? :p )

Another strong issue of The Ravagers as we get interesting story developments courtesy of writer Howard Mackie. Unfortunately, this is the last issue for Mackie and artist Ian Churchill. The art duties are shared by Churchill and three other artists. But thankfully (and surprisingly) the art changes are not as jarring. We also get a new character but her introduction leaves into question how much we’ll see of her in the future. Overall, still a great title and one I look forward to each month.

When I first saw there were four artists for the issue, I cringed. I love regular artist Ian Churchill’s art so any time someone is brought in to take away from that, I automatically default to not liking it. However, I have been proven wrong like last issue where Tyler Kirkham assisted Churchill on art and it wasn’t that bad. I was also hoping since this was his last issue that we’d get more of his art. The saving grace for this issue was the use of different artists as the story changed. They wisely did an art change when something significant in the story changed. This was a brilliant way to address having multiple artists and I applaud editorial for their foresight on that one.

I also like that these characters have a dark side that they’re constantly fighting against. Imagine being trained all your life to be a Sith Lord but suddenly, everyone wants you to be a Jedi. That’s the dilemma these kids keep running into and it takes them into some pretty dark territory sometimes. It’s an aspect of this book that’s been there since the beginning but as Mackie takes these kids deeper and deeper into the story, it seems their choices get harder and harder. It’s an aspect that keeps the title very interesting.

Being a Wildcats fan, at first I didn’t like the idea of Warblade as a villain. But I have to say he’s shaping up to be a pretty good one. If we ever get a Wildcats title and they decide to use him, the writer’s going to have a big job on his hands trying to redeem this character. But it’ll make for one heck of a story!

I am consistently satisfied with this book and I can’t say enough good things about it. I love where Mackie has taken this title and it’s unfortunate that this is his and Chruchill’s last issue. Writer Michael Alan Nelson comes on next month with new artist Ig Guara who has done some issues of Teen Titans. So we’ll see where this new creative team takes the series from here.

Team 7 is in the house! This title gets stronger and stronger with each new issue. Julius Gopez on art has been much more enjoyable these last couple of issues. Jordan also throws in a little Indiana Jones/ G.I. Joe flavor with this issue that really gives the team a chance to shine. I feel this title is finally getting its footing. Toting itself as the history of the New 52 is a big job but I feel it’s one Jordan is handling really well.

Let’s start off by bringing to light the fact that Jordan does three key cool things in this issue that I really appreciated. We get a cameo by Essence from Red Hood and the Outlaws (no spoilers, she’s mentioned in the solicit), we get the New 52 introduction of Eclipso (also mentioned in the solicits) and finally we get the New 52 introduction of one of the greatest Wildstorm villains ever (not mentioned in solicits so you’ll just have to find out who for yourself)! Add on top of that the fact that Deathstroke takes a turn at narrating the issue (Lynch and Black Canary narrated the previous two) and we get a really solid issue.

I also have to say that Julius Gopez’s art was much stronger here than last issue but it looks like we have different inker for him this time. Jimbo Salgado is the inker and he makes Gopez’s art look more like it did on Gopez’s last Wildstorm project which was the Wetworks: Mutations one-shot. This is how I remember Gopez’s art and is a further testament to how important the choice of inker is for an artist. Gopez did some amazing work here. He was not listed in the solicits for this issue so I’m hoping that even though he’s not listed in next month’s issue, he’ll still be drawing it.

This title is finally starting to come into its own. I’m hoping most people who may have gotten a little discouraged with this title early on will come back and give this issue a try. Jordan has been giving us a nice build to this issue and it’s starting to pay off. I’m also glad that he’s the new spearhead for inserting Wildstorm characters into the New 52 as the solicits show we’re getting several coming down the line. Oh, and with Grifter’s own title ending soon, I’m glad he’s still got a presence here. The explanation of why he wears his mask was funny because it was so matter of fact.

With Liefeld’s influence gone, Frank Tieri is able to steer this book on a course even if it’s scheduled to sink with next month’s cancellation. But I was hoping for a strong finish for the series and everything seemed to be improved with this issue. Tieri has done his best to string together the mess this series has been so far and even Maraty Mychaels’ art seemed to be improved as well.

This book has been all over the place since Liefeld took over. I always had a feeling that most of the books missteps were due to his influence and this issue proves it. Frank Tieri takes over solo writing duty here and it shows. For once there was a clear narrative to the story and I liked the “Then” and “Now” structure he laid out. It gives us a nice peak into Amanda Waller’s history post-Team 7. It also shows that because of her position in the government, she has her hands in many different aspects of the DCU. This includes information on her former Team 7 teammate, Grifter.

The ironic thing is Grifter has been put through the wringer in his title, both in the real world and in the comic world. In the real world he’s been the victim of bad editorial decisions which led the title having no established foundation. In the comic world, Grifter has been jerked around and lied to by just about every person he’s encountered. It has led to some confusion in-story but with the revelation Tieri gives in this issue, it shows why Grifter as a character has been so screwed-up.

I’m actually excited to see how Tieri ties is all up. I learned recently that #15 was originally going to be the last issue. But thankfully, someone in DC’s offices had mercy and allowed next month’s issue to give the title a proper ending. For the first time in months, I’m excited for the next issue of Grifter, even if it’s the last.

Peter Milligan starts steering the team in a new direction as the long-awaited plans of former-Stormwatch member Harry Tanner finally come to the forefront. It causes Midnighter becomes a fugitive and shows us the killing-machine himself having no choice but to flee for his life. It’s a bold move for a team whose current incarnation hasn’t existed that long in the New 52 and it makes for an exciting issue.

Artist Will Conrad promised that Midnighter would be having a hard time in the coming months. This issue (along with future solicits) show that he wasn’t kidding. The seeds of Harry Tanner’s manipulations have been planted for over a year now in this book and it’s cool to finally see them coming to fruition. His plans also seem to be laying groundwork for next year’s Trinity War crossover as well but how heavily the Stormwatch title will play into that remains to be seen.

Fans of Midnighter and Apollo, both new and old, will to see some hard times for the couple in this issue. It’s been interesting seeing these two get together but that all gets threatened here. It’s this kind of drama that makes this more enjoyable than a straight-up action book. I’m actually liking how these characters interact. Even Jenny Quantum and Apollo get a nice scene together which is something I don’t think we’ve seen yet in the series.

Again we get an art split between Will Conrad & Cliff Richards. I don’t’ know if Richards is doing better at matching up with Conrad’s style but it didn’t seem as jarring visually here as it had in the past. I still prefer Conrad but I can say overall I’m still pretty happy with the art in this book.

The creative team is really shaking up this title. The solicits show that things are going to get worse for the team. What’s really going to be interesting is to see where the team stands when the dust settles. Since the zero issue, I feel like this title has gotten new life. I hope others are realizing that as well and jumping on board.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

]]>Video Review- Wildcats Heroclix from DC Batman serieshttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/12/video-review-wildcats-heroclix/
Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:34:44 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=3066Continue reading →]]>Welcome to our second video review! This is a short video review of the Wildcats Heroclix figures that Joe reported earlier this year. It’s really cool that we got to finally have some Wildstorm figures for this game and the tradition Wildcats ones no less! Can’t get enough all things Wildstorm in the DCU New 52. Hope you guys enjoy it! Oh and did I mention that you can watch it in full 1080p?!?!

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #14, Grifter #14, and Ravagers #6, and Team 7 #2, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:35 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #41 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:09 – Ben gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

Midnighter & Apollo will be two of several characters featured in a one-shot in February called Young Romance: A New 52 Valentine’s Day Special. Peter Milligan is mentioned as one of the writer’s so we assume he’ll handle the Midnighter/Apollo story. No word yet on who will do the art for that particular story.

Even though we’re not going to be treated to a Wildcats title (yet), February does feature the debut of another Wildstorm character. Team 7 #5 features the New 52 debut of Spartan! And apparently features an appearance by Caitlin Fairchild according to the cover which shows her and her dad fighting Spartan. Stormwatch #17 confirms the hard times Will Conrad spoke of in our interview with him last month as the solicit promises the end of Stormwatch headquarters (again) and the death of a character. All-Star Western #17 has a back-up story that features Jenny Freedom and the Stormwatch of the 19th century.

March sees the softcover trade release of The DC Universe by Alan Moore which features some of his Wildstorm work: original Voodoo mini-series #1-4 and Deathblow: Byblows #1-3.

Once again, thank you to all our new Image Addiction listeners. Our downloads have tripled since we became part of the Image Addiction podcast network!!

00:05:16 – Joe starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #14. Released on 11/07, written by Peter Milligan with art and cover by Will Conrad.

00:19:46 – Ben continues on the garbage of the new DCU with Grifter #14. Released on 11/14, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels and cover by Scott Clark.

00:28:08 – Joe reviews Ravagers #6. Released on 11/14, written by Howard Mackie with art by Ian Churchill and Tyler Kirkham with cover by Ken Lashley.

00:40:00 – Ben actually did a manageable job reviewing Team 7 this month with issue #2. Released on 11/14, written by Justin Jordan with art by Ron Frenz & Julius Gopez with cover by Tyler Kirkham and variant cover by Brett Booth.

00:59:34 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #14’s that have released last month.

11/07 Animal Man #14 – Rotworld crossover, there are rotted versions of Hawk, Dove, Grifter, Deathstroke, and Hawkman, all believed to be a jab back at Liefeld for attacking Scott Snyder on his way out of DC. Epic!

11/14 Legion Lost #14 – Ravagers appearance

11/14 Deathstroke #14 – Pike shows up at end

01:07:40 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 12/05

STORMWATCH #15 Midnighter: enemy of Stormwatch? The manipulations of the Shadow Lords have turned members of the team against each other! Is this the beginning of the end as we saw it in issue #0?

For the week of 12/12

GRIFTER #15 Grifter and Voodoo vs. The Suicide Squad! Is Amanda Waller responsible for all the bad things that have happened to Grifter? Will he stop shooting long enough to learn the truth? Former Team 7 partners face off!

RAVAGERS #7 The return of Warblade and Rose Wilson! Can the team finally act like a team — and survive? Beast Boy deals with side effects from The Rot, and Caitlin asks Superboy the unthinkable!

TEAM 7 #3 From the pages of RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS, the mysterious Essence joins the team’s battle against the Heart of Darkness known as the Black Diamond! Before he was Deathstroke The Terminator, Slade Wilson was possessed by Eclipso! Is this the secret origin of a super villain? The secret history of the superhuman cold war is here!

LEGION LOST #15 The lost Legionnaires must decide if they are willing to sacrifice millions in order to save billions! Superboy and The Ravagers guest-star!

For the week of 1/2

THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #15 “HAWKMAN: WANTED” continues! Hawkman is a fugitive — and everybody wants to kill him for his Nth Metal Armor. Good thing Carter’s always ready for a fight! Guest-starring Deathstroke! (More Pike?)

01:08:05 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and Shadowman.

01:08:58 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/11/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-41/feed/3Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #14, Grifter #14, Ravagers #6, and Team 7 #2, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in t...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #14, Grifter #14, Ravagers #6, and Team 7 #2, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52!<br />
<br />
Ben welcomes everyone to episode #41 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:11:03Ravagers #6http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/11/ravagers-6/
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/11/ravagers-6/#commentsSat, 17 Nov 2012 18:54:20 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2995Continue reading →]]>“…Engage!”

Surprisingly a great jumping on point for new readers, this issue delivers on the action and gives us lots of great moments between the characters. The guest-appearance by Superboy helps add to the struggle these characters are facing and I’m loving the relationship (not a romantic one) that he’s developed with Cailtlin Fairchild. On top of that we get a great art tag-team with Ian Churchill & Tyler Kirkham. All around, a superb issue and one that reminds me why this is one of my favorite books right now.

Ravagers as a book took a while to get its footing. But with the initial arc and Zero Issue month out of the way, I can tell Howard Mackie took the time to make this a new-reader friendly issue. He starts off with having some simple exposition from one of the characters that reviews each of the Ravagers’ names and their powers. You also get to see them in action too. Then we move on to something I love which is seeing superheroes chilling out in the real world. It’s something I’ve seen many times during my years of reading comics but it’s an idea that still appeals to me. And finally, for those who have been reading since the beginning get treated to the return of several characters at the end of the issue (including two minors ones I thought we’d never see again).

I already love Ian Churchill’s art and have normally been disappointed when other artists have been brought in to help him finish an issue. But this time they brought in Tyler Kirkham to help and I like his art so it was a good compliment to Churchhill’s. Because of the three acts I mentioned earlier, we get treated to some great action art as well as the superheroes in the real world which the artists have some fun with.

It’s also noteworthy this month that we get twice the Ravager-goodness as the team appears in Legion Lost #14 (which apparently takes place after Ravagers #7 next month). If you’re looking for more on the villain Harvest who originally created the Ravagers be sure and check out that book as well.

Stormwatch and Ravagers are my two favorite books right now. Ravagers once again narrowly beats Stormwatch for me this month. I’m just so happy with the direction of the book and I’m loving the interaction between the characters. All this and some beautiful art make for a winner in my book.

With all the introductions behind us, the team is finally able to get the story moving as we get some great action and some great character moments. You can tell writer Justin Jordan was having fun with this issue as we get a lot of story crammed in here. Guest artists Ron Frenz and Julius Gopez did a better job in my opinion with the art. Here’s to hoping that this is the beginning of a positive trend for this book!

This is a great example of a book that can have good action as well as a good story. Black Canary narrates the issue much like Lynch did in issue one but her commentary didn’t overpower the story. It was inserted in just the right spots so it would compliment what was going on at the time. We’ve got so many characters to keep up with, Jordan wisely gives the lesser known characters some screen time. For example, Bronson, or “Iron Man” as we jokingly refer to him, gets a rather comedic moment that ends up helping the team.

Jordan also does well to tie this back to a moment in issue zero which I never would’ve thought would be something we’d revisit. It’s good that he’s not just doing throw-away stories. The same can be said for some of the newer characters. It would be easy to dismiss them as cannon fodder since there are other more well-known characters on the team. But not only has Jodran said they are certainly not cannon-fodder, but he’s also proving it here by giving them moments to shine.

If I had any complaints about the issue, it’s kind of a weird one. For old Wildstorm fans, there’s mention of an old Wildstorm villain here, although unfortunately, it seems it was just a tease (hopefully for future stories). It’s almost as if Jordan had this villain ready and at the last minute they told him to use Eclipso instead (not a spoiler, he’s in the solicits). While a weird choice, it’s still cool that the idea that this Wildstorm villain exists has been established in the New 52.

This was the issue I wanted after zero but it’s ok that we had to get through all the re-introductions in issue one. If the stories continue like this, than the title should have a long shelf life. I’m still pushing for a better artist just because I think the book needs to have a stronger visual appeal. But for now, hopefully the story alone will keep people hooked.

Hot on the tail of the news that the title is being cancelled, we get a fun, albeit shallow, issue of Grifter. While the issue was enjoyable it was a quick read and the logic behind the result of the fight between Midnighter and Grifter still has me scratching my head. At this point, all we can hope for is some entertaining issues before the end.

It’s always hard to write a review for a title you know is getting cancelled. You almost feel like it’s pointless because the purpose of a review is to encourage people to buy the issues so it won’t get cancelled. The only thing left at that point is to let others know if the end is worth reading or not. So far, I think it still is, even if I don’t agree with everything that’s being done with the character.

First, fans of both Midnighter and Grifter are going to be thrown off by the way their fight plays out. I know both characters are different from their Wildstorm versions, but even with the way they’ve been presented in the New 52 so far, it’s still hard to swallow. The issue is pretty much one big fight scene and leaves out something that’s been missing for a while in the series…character development. Since his New 52 debut, I’ve wanted to know more about this version of Grifter and with 14 issues in the can, I still don’t feel like I know much about him. I know it’s supposed to be an action book, but I can point to a dozen other comics that do a great job of mixing action with character moments.

I was also happier with Marat Mychaels art this issue. It’s got a simple style to it but I’ve always liked it. Come to think of it, I would’ve preferred him over on the Team 7 book; the book that will soon be the only place to get your Grifter fix. According to the solicits, he’s doing these last few issues of the book so at least we’ll get some consistency here. It’s also noteworthy that this is the last issue Rob Liefeld will get credit for. So it’ll be interesting to see what Frank Tieri does on his own with the last couple of issues.

While it is sad that the title will end soon, it’s probably for the best since it’s had so many missteps. Hopefully people will still be interested in Grifter over in Team 7 and eventually that’ll lead to a Wildcats title (here’s to hoping!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy cover Wizard World Austin and give an interview to the current artist on Stormwatch, Will Conrad. Also friend of the show and co-host of the Only the Valiant Podcast, Chiclo stops by for a chat with Joe about the introduction of Wildstorm into the new DCU 52.

00:00:53 – Ben welcomes everyone to a special episode #40.5 and turns the show over to Joe.

00:01:19 – Joe introduces us to his weekend at Wizard World Austin and gives us all the news he’s learned from it.

Also helped promote my friend Jesse Sosa’s new video game company Dinosaur Games and we showcased their upcoming game, MechKnight Chronicles which I’m helping with story and character backgrounds. You can find them at http://www.dinosaurentertainment.com/

Thanks to all the Image Addiction listeners who have given our podcast a try. Our downloads have almost tripled in just a few days!

00:05:17 – Joe interviews current artist of Stormwatch, Will Conrad.

00:17:11 – Joe thanks Will again and recaps the interview a bit. Unfortunately he didn’t take any Stormwatch issues to get signed by Will but did score free V.I.P. lithograph thanks to friend of the show, Chiclo from Only the Valiant podcast who attended the show. We did first podcast crossover as I shared my thoughts on the Valiant books and Chiclo shared his thoughts on the Wildstorm stuff in DC.

00:18:59 – Joe catches up with friend of the show and co-host of the Only the Valiant Podcast, Chiclo stops by for a chat with Joe about the introduction of Wildstorm into the new DCU 52.

00:37:34 – Joe wraps up his conversation with Chiclo and agrees that we can’t get a break with all of the Wildstorm titles getting pulled out from under us.

00:40:00 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and Shadowman.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/11/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-40-5/feed/3Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy cover Wizard World Austin and give an interview to the current artist on Stormwatch, Will Conrad.Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy cover Wizard World Austin and give an interview to the current artist on Stormwatch, Will Conrad. Also friend of the show and co-host of the Only the Valiant Podcast, Chiclo stops by for a chat with Joe about the introduction of Wildstorm into the new DCU 52. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean41:39Stormwatch #14http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/11/stormwatch-14/
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/11/stormwatch-14/#commentsWed, 07 Nov 2012 20:56:09 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2966Continue reading →]]>“The Rise of the Demon -Part 2: London’s Burning ”

The Stormwatch title picks up steam again in this issue as the conflict with Etrigan the Demon heats up (literally!). Milligan gives us a great battle which is complimented with some great Will Conrad art. On top of that Milligan starts to bring some threads together concerning Stormwatch’s former member turned foe, Harry Tanner, and his manipulations could spell the end of the team.

I’ll admit I was a little hard on last issue because it was a set-up issue but I should’ve trusted Milligan to know that as soon as the set-up was out of the way, he’d kick the story up a notch. The Demon as he’s represented here is a lot more arrogant than I remember in Demon Knights. But it’s obvious by the things Etrigan talks about that a lot has happened since I stopped reading that title. I also love the new look Will Conrad gave the Demon. To me, it’s much cooler than his Demon Knights look. It was also nice to see Apollo finally unleash on a foe. I feel like he’s held back lately.

I also love how the team dynamics are being put to the test here. The Engineer is not winning any popularity votes with her decisions as team leader (don’t want to spoil anything). She makes Apollo and Midnighter an ultimatum that could potentially force one or both of them off the team. I’m also glad we finally get Harry Tanner’s story coming to the forefront. It’s been building for a while and I look forward to the payoff.

I honestly don’t have real complaints about the issue. If I had to nitpick, it’s that we get artist Cliff Richards to finish off the last 4 pages of the issue. He’s ok but I prefer Will Conrad. Other than that, I think Milligan is doing well taking the information we learned in Stormwatch #0 and incorporating it into the title. It definitely gives the team a sense of history within the New 52.

With the cancellations of Voodoo and Grifter, Stormwatch is the last of the Wildstorm titles from the original New 52 launch. I’m hoping that it picks up because it would be sad to have all the Wildstorm launch titles gone. Here’s to hoping people give it a try (especially with the next trade coming out soon).

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #13, Grifter #13,Team 7 #1, and Ravagers #5, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #40 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:00 – Joe gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU after the news and announcements at the New York Comic Con a few weeks ago.

In January we will see the end of another wave titles and unfortunately, Grifter is on the hit list this month (announced on Joe’s birthday no less!) along with Blue Beetle, Frankenstein, and Legion Lost. Only two replacement titles have been announced so far debuting in February: Justice League of America by Geoff Johns and David Finch and Man of Steel by Scott Snyder and Jim Lee. Still two titles left to announce.

X-O Manowar writer Robert Venditti takes over Demon Knights with #16 and it fast forwards the title 30 years later. I asked Venditti on Twitter if we’ll see any of the Century Babies mentioned in Stormwatch #0. He said not right away but maybe down the line. Stormwatch #16 has Apollo and Midnighter duking it out on the cover? Lover’s quarrel or Harry Tanner’s manipulations? The solicit reads “Don’t miss the stunning (and permanent) transformation of a Stormwatch member!”

Ravagers #8 brings new series writer Michael Alan Nelson (Fall of Cthulhu, 28 Days Later) with Ig Guara on art and features Rose Wilson and Warblade. The final issue of Legion Lost which is #16 will feature The Ravagers and Superboy. Team 7 #4 has the team facing Eclipso and reveals the secret origin of Deathstroke (fixing the zero issue?).

Interesting tidbit overlooked at NYCC, a Fan Q&A from comicsbeat.com has this to say: “Jim Lee has two Wildstorm properties reserved for him: W.I.L.D.Cats and Divine Right. Everyone keeps waiting for W.I.L.D.Cats to relaunch, and it certainly seems like the groundwork was being laid, but it seems unlikely that will happen until his run on the new Superman title with Scott Snyder is over.” (Is this spelling of Wildcats legit?)

00:08:09 – Ben starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #13. Released on 10/03, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad and cover by Guillem March.

00:24:59 – Joe reviews Grifter #13. Released on 10/10, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels and cover by Scott Clark and Andrew Dalhouse (notice the cover change from the solicit? I have a feeling we’ll be getting more of these until the title ends).

00:39:55 – Ben reviews Ravagers #5. Released on 10/10, written by Howard Mackie with art and cover by Ian Churchill.

00:54:47 – Joe gives his review of Team 7 #1. Released on 10/10, written by Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Merino and cover by Doug Mahnke.

01:05:03 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #13’s that have released this month.

10/10 Deathstroke #13 – Zealot cameo, solicit promised info about Khera but changed with Liefeld’s departure. Voodoo writer Josh Williamson scripted this issue and says he’s doing #14 as well but I asked him on Twitter about Khera change and he said Liefeld gave it to him with Khera plot already gone. Instead we got a booty call.

10/10 Superboy #13 – Fairchild appearance as Superboy hooks up with the Ravagers to tie in with Ravagers #5

01:06:15 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 11/07

STORMWATCH #14 Will Stormwatch’s battle with Etrigan the Demon expose them to the public? Will rival Harry Tanner’s plan to infiltrate the Shadow Lords lead to the team’s destruction? Plus, a former member returns!

For the week of 11/14

GRIFTER #14 Midnight in Paris! Grifter vs. Midnighter in the city where Cole was forced to kill his brother! Guest-starring Voodoo!

RAVAGERS #6 The team has risked everything for a dying member, but even with Superboy now leading them, their fates may be sealed. It’s only a matter of time before they fall, one by one, to the deadliest assassin.

DEATHSTROKE #14 Crossover with “HAWKMAN: WANTED!” Hawkman is a wanted fugitive with a bounty on his head — and Deathstroke aims to collect! Find out what the mysterious connection is between Deathstroke and Hawkman’s Nth Metal armor! (Is Zealot officially gone?)

TEAM 7 #2 The secret history of The New 52 is told here – with bullets! Set five years in the past, Team 7 races into the heart of darkness to stop the evil that the Black Diamond will unleash!

01:07:53 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics as they just hit a milestone with Episode 75!Also check out the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and coming in November a new Shadowman title.

00:00:00 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-40/feed/3Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #13, Grifter #13, Ravagers #5 and Team 7 #1, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in th...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #13, Grifter #13, Ravagers #5 and Team 7 #1, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52!<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #36 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:14:23Dallas Fandays & Wizard World-Austin recapshttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/dallas-fandays-wizard-world-austin-recaps/
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/dallas-fandays-wizard-world-austin-recaps/#commentsTue, 30 Oct 2012 23:21:45 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2919Continue reading →]]>The last two weeks have been a great time to be a comic book fan here in North Texas! We had two amazing conventions over consecutive weekends and they each were equally amazing! The highlight for me for Dallas Comic Con: Fandays was meeting Felicia Day (of the infamous web series The Guild, if you’ve never checked it out.) Fandays is a smaller con which can normally be completed in one day. Because of other commitments I had that weekend, my one day happened to be Sunday, traditionally the slowest day for most cons.

But one surprise was getting to meet Image Founder and Wetworks creator, Whilce Portacio. He was a very nice but very soft spoken guy. It took me a while to get him talking but I told him about our podcast and how much we loved his work. I really wanted to interview him but since he’s not currently doing any work with his Wildstorm creations, I felt it would have been inappropriate. He did say, however, that he would revisit Wetworks in the New 52 but DC had not approached him about it. I then scored big as he had some of his old (over 15 years old!) limited prints of his 8 piece Variant cover which ran through several Wildstorm titles in 1994. He signed them and even though I have the original comics, I had always wanted to frame them into the giant poster they form. So, I may now do this with the prints instead.

Wizard World-Austin just passed and this is the second year in a row I’ve attended as a vendor. A friend of mine, Roy Gonzales, is a local artist in Austin who has used this con as a foot in the door to the world of selling your art. We had a successful run last year and we eagerly looked forward to year 2 of our endeavor. An added bonus we had this year is another friend of mine, Jesse Sosa, just started a new video game company in Austin called Dinosaur Games. We were showcasing their upcoming game, Mech Knight Chronicles. On top of that, we had a friend selling some giant game dice he had made. So we had a very diverse booth in Artist Alley this year.

As for our podcast, because Dinosaur Games was sharing the booth with us, I decided to give up our space which would have been used to promote the podcast. However, this didn’t stop our podcast from having a presence at the con. First up, Stormwatch artist Will Conrad was attending so he did an interview with us which we’ll showcase in an upcoming podcast. He was a very nice guy and very appreciative of the fans. Look for his upcoming interview to see what questions and teases he gives about Stormwatch.

I also had the privilege of running our first ever podcast crossover as fellow Texan, Chiclo of the Only the Valiant podcast attended the con this year. He and I did a segment where I shared my thoughts on the Valiant books so far and he shared his thoughts on the Wildstorm stuff in the New 52. We hope to release the recording on both our podcasts so be watching for it. It was a lot of fun and I hope it’s something we can get to do with them again in the future.

So, overall October ended up being a great month to be a nerd in Texas! My convention attendance is done for 2012 but 2013 will be here before you know it and who knows what podcasting goodness it’ll hold for us!

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/dallas-fandays-wizard-world-austin-recaps/feed/1DC HeroClix: Batman-Voodoohttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/dc-heroclix-batman-voodoo/
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/dc-heroclix-batman-voodoo/#commentsTue, 30 Oct 2012 00:24:42 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2909Continue reading →]]>We go into Halloween week with yet another WildC.A.T.s figure from the upcoming Heroclix set. This time it’s one of my favorites, the sexy Daemonite-detector herself, Voodoo! She makes the 5th confirmed member of the WildC.A.T.s so far. Her dial seems to reflect her powers well. They also take into account her split Kherubim/Daemonite heritage which is pretty cool. They even go as far as to reference her Coda training with Zealot. I am so impressed by how much thought and research the designers have put into these figures so far.

As much as I’d like a Spartan, Void, or even a Lord Emp figure, I have to consider that there are only 54 figures in this set. So, to have 5 out of the 54 already confirmed to be Wildstorm characters is way more than we could’ve asked for. Check out more on Voodoo’s figure here and be sure to check out her stats below:

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Superman Annual #1,Stormwatch #0, Grifter #0, and Voodoo #0, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. We decided not to review Ravagers #0 this month because it basically just covered the origin of Beast Boy and Terra and had no Wildstorm character appearances.

00:00:35 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #39 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:46 – Ben gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU approaching the last big con of 2012, NYCC.

We all know that Jim Lee is off Justice League, so we’re hoping and praying that a Wildcats title will be his next stop but we’ll see. It’s also rumored Jim Lee may be doing a new Superman title. Ivan Reis is taking over Justice League in December and the announcement had this to say about Jim Lee: “And for you Jim Lee fans out there, don’t worry. We’ve got some major news coming soon. While that’s all we can tease for now, New York Comic Con is only one month away …” Which of course, the con is a lot closer now since this statement was first released and other than a few variant covers, Jim Lee is noticeably absent from the December solicitations.

Speaking of December, Grifter #15 has him facing the Suicide Squad (he’s specifically fighting Deadshot on the cover) and mentions ties to Team 7, Stormwatch #15 apparently has the team turning Midnighter because of the Shadow Lords manipulations, Team 7 #3 has Deathstroke turning against the team thanks to the first New 52 appearance of the villain Eclipso, and Ravagers #7 has the return of Rose Wilson and Warblade. Also, Superboy and the Ravagers guest star in Legion Lost #15 and Demon Knights #15 mentions a connection to Stormwatch.

Stormwatch Vol. 2 HC has been pushed back to May 2013 and the Voodoo Vol. 1: What Lies Beneath trade came out Sept. 26th.

The Wildstorm Addiction Podcast is now officially part of the Image Addiction Network. Chris Partin and Michael Smith from Image Addiction are the reason we have a podcast and unfortunately we all split after the Comic Addiction site went down. It’s good to be back amongst our original podcast family!

00:05:31 – Joe starts it off with the review of Superman Annual #1. Released on 8/29, written by Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza with art by Pascal Alixe, Marco Rudy, Tom Raney, Elizabeth Torque, and Mico Suayan with cover by Kenneth Rocafort.

00:19:06 – Ben reviews the history of the new DCU with Stormwatch #0. Released on 9/05, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad and cover by Tyler Kirkham.

00:33:47 – Joe reviews Grifter #0. Released on 9/12, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Scott Clark and cover by Rob Liefeld.

00:46:48 – Ben tried to review the first issue of the title starting with the third wave of the new DCU52, Team 7 #0, but failed miserably and thank goodness Joe took over. I didn’t get a chance to re-read this issue before the review, but I have a great excuse! Released on 9/12, written by Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Merino and cover by Ken Lashley.

The arms dealer Kurt and Dinah go after at the beginning of issue mentions the “Gen-Factor”

01:03:00 – Joe gives his final review of Voodoo as we give this title it’s swan song on issue #0. Released on on 9/26, written by Josh Williamson with art and cover by Sami Basri.

01:15:45 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #0’s that have released last month.

9/12 Deathstroke #0 – appearance by Grifter, how is he hold up those other guys?!?!

9/12 Superboy #0 – Fairchild appearance

9/12 Suicide Squad #0 – Team 7 mentioned several times

9/26 The Savage Hawkman #0 – Mention of a Daemonite war on Thangar (not shown)

01:17:52 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 10/03

STORMWATCH #13 Midnighter and Apollo go AWOL from Stormwatch! The debut of The Demon in the modernday New 52! Will he be the team’s most unpredictable new member? What is the centuries-spanning connection between STORMWATCH and DEMON KNIGHTS?

RAVAGERS #5 Caitlin and Superboy reunited – and that’s not a good thing for Ridge! Beast Boy’s powers become dangerous as he feels the effects of “Rotworld: The Red Kingdom,” from ANIMAL MAN!

DEATHSTROKE #13 Deathstroke and Zealot learn the terrible fate of the planet Kheran and brace for the long-lasting repercussions it will have on the DC Universe.

TEAM 7 #1 Learn how the secret wars of the New 52 were fought by TEAM 7! Early adventures of Deathstroke, Black Canary, Grifter, Amanda Waller, Steve Trevor and others! This issue: Battlefield Gamorra!

01:19:52 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and coming in November a new Shadowman title.

01:21:13 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-39/feed/4Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #0, Grifter #0, and Voodoo #0, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52,Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #0, Grifter #0, and Voodoo #0, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52, including Superman Annual #1!<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #36 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:24:01DC HeroClix: Batman-Maulhttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/dc-heroclix-batman-maul/
Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:49:35 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2486Continue reading →]]>We get the Wildcats heavy hitter this time as Maul makes his Heroclix debut. I personally would’ve liked him a giant figure, but it seems they worked his dial to represent his intelligent side as Jeremy Stone and then increasing his powers as his mass increases. Check out more on him here and be sure to check out his stats below. I’m not as happy about the stats on this figure as the others so far. But the sculpts are still really good for this set and hey, we’ve got a Maul Heroclix figure so I’m happy!

]]>Video Review-Grifter statue from Eaglemosshttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/video-review-grifter-statue-from-eaglemoss/
Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:28:13 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2478Continue reading →]]>Welcome to our first ever video review! This was just a short video I shot to promote the Grifter statue from Eaglemoss we reported earlier this year. I feel it wasn’t as heavily promoted like the Grifter Bust was so I just wanted to show our continued support for all things Wildstorm in the DCU New 52. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Picking up directly from where issue 4 left us, the group finally comes to some realizations that cause them to go from a group to a team. It’s good to have the creative team of writer Howard Mackie with artist Ian Churchill again. I feel the stronger issues of the title so far have been the ones with both of them on board. This narrowly beat out Stormwatch as my favorite book this month.

Ravagers has been a fun title since it launched in Wave 2 but has had some distractions. We’ve had other artists on the book in such a short time and while they haven’t been bad, they don’t come close to Ian Churchill. His art is one of the reasons I enjoy this book so much. He does a great rendition of each character and in this issue, he gets to have a little fun as we see the kids in normal clothes instead of their superhero costumes. It’s little details like this that always make me appreciate an artist more.

The zero issue last month basically just showed us the origin of Terra and Beast Boy since technically the “origin” of The Ravagers was revealed in The Culling crossover where the title sprang from. So while the zero issue was good, I was happy to get back on track here with the story. There’s some interesting character moments as we see the group starting to realize why they must band together in order to survive. Even Superboy who guest stars gets a little revelation which I wonder if it’ll be carried over into the “H’el on Earth” crossover happening in the Super titles.

Because the zero issue will be included in the trade, the first arc had to be wrapped up here. I kind of wish they would’ve had one more issue to focus on what they were setting up here because the ending seemed a little forced. Definitely a classic ending to a team book, but you could tell Mackie had to squeeze it in there for the trade.

Ravagers is such an under-rated book in my opinion. I’ve been having a lot of fun with it and it’s got a great creative team. Mackie always has me wondering where we’re going next and now that they team has survived their first arc, I’m anxious for the next one.

Team 7’s introduction to the DCU continues here as we get an action-filled issue that puts the team to the test. While the zero issue had to mix action with introductions with action, here writer Justin Jordan had the freedom to go more action. But he adds a narrative that re-introduces the characters through the eyes of Lynch for those who didn’t read the zero issue.

Jordan took a chance by making this issue accessible even though he had the zero issue under his belt. Issue zero set-up how the team got together but here we see them on their first mission. Jordan uses their leader Lynch to provide a narrative that re-introduces the team members as he gives his post-mission report. I understand why Jordan did it but for those of us who did read the zero issue, I felt it got in the way of the story a bit. It’s a double-edged sword because this is a first issue after all and this stuff needs to be there. The good news is, it stands well on its own without the zero issue.

I’m still not keen on Jesus Merino’s art. It’s just too old school for me. He is not a bad artist, he just has a really simple style. I will say though, I do like that his rendition of Grifter goes for the white-out eyes instead of the visible eyes through the mask. I know it’s a nit-pick but white eyes always look cooler for masks (just look at the Bat Family). I was also hoping that Grifter’s armor would look be colored like it was in his own zero issue. But looks like it’s mainly red-based for now.

Another thing that threw me off is the solicitation mentioned the team as headed to Gamorra. Now for those who don’t know, Gamorra was an island ruled by dictator Kaizen Gamorra who ended up being one of the greatest Wildstorm villains. So I was surprised to see that the team ended up in another location and it remains to be seen if Gamorra will come into play in the next issue.

While a decent follow-up issue to the zero issue, I was expecting a little more. We’ve got a good set-up here and we’ve got the conflicts amongst the team members established. I’m just looking for something that’s really going to grab me with this title. Here’s to hoping Jordan’s got something hidden up his sleeve.

Grifter resumes its regular numbering after Zero Month minus Rob Liefeld and Scott Clark. But we have Liefeld’s dialogue writer, Frank Tieri, stepping in as well as Marat Mychaels coming on with art. But Liefeld’s influence still lingers as we get some odd story choices in a slightly confusing issue.

I will start off by saying I think between issue zero and this issue it’s actually a decent starting off point. It would be obvious to a new reader that there is plenty of stuff that has come before, but I think issue zero set up the origin of Grifter and his new mentor Warick well enough to where you get why they’re in the middle of this mission. That said, the story does take some confusing turns. Without spoiling anything, it’s mainly about the logic of Grifter entering Stormwatch’s base once and then seemly doing it a second time, although it seems the second time was an accident.

Then we get a confrontation between him and Apollo which is immediately followed by another confrontation with Midnighter. I understand the reasoning behind the outcome and being a Grifter fan you’d think I wouldn’t been happy with the outcome, but also being a Stormwatch fan, I found myself questioning if it really would’ve gone down this way. There’s also a scene with Grifter and Voodoo that, while I admit is something that’s never been explored before, I’m not sure how I feel about the idea yet.

Marat Mychaels did an earlier issue of Grifter and even though he had a few slight missteps in the art, I will re-iterate that I love his rendition of Grifter. The look Mychaels gives Grifter is very reminiscent of his classic Image look but more stream-lined. He does good action but much like Liefeld, he doesn’t seem to do a lot of backgrounds. Which is cool sometimes but can get a little distracting after a while.

I have to say I didn’t enjoy the issue as much as #12 and #0 but I think it’s better with Liefeld gone. Tieri informed me on Twitter that issue 15 he did solo so I really look forward to seeing what he does without Liefeld’s influence still lingering. I know this title is in danger of being cancelled so if that’s true, let’s hope these last few issues take us out with a bang!

6 out of 10 (Slight Above Average)

]]>DC HeroClix: Batman-Zealothttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/10/dc-heroclix-batman-zealot/
Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:04:04 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2438Continue reading →]]>The WildC.A.T.s goodness from the upcoming Heroclix release continues as we get Grifter’s number one lady, Zealot! They haven’t posted a page description at the official site yet but just from glancing at her combat dial, I’d say they’ve got her down pretty well.

She’s got Charge to symbolize how she’s not afraid to charge into battle as well as Leap/Climb, Flurry, and Blades/Claws/Fangs which more than appropriately establishes her skills with her blades. Add on the ability to Incapacitate her opponents and use Combat Reflexes makes her a crazy warrior in battle. They’ve also given her Super Senses to show her ability to read her opponent’s moves and if you dare move in close to her, you’ll have to contend with her Close Combat Expert and Exploit Weakness. All this for only 75 points is a steal! Keep watching the official site here to see if they post more about her.

After Zero Month, we now return our titles to their regularly scheduled numbering. This issue does build on some of the ideas from issue zero but keeps right on from where #12 last left us. This is fine since the issues following the zero issues weren’t toted as good jumping on points. But it is the start of a new story arc, so in that, it can be argued a new reader can start here.

Last month’s zero issue was amazing and showed us the connection between Stormwatch and Demon Knights. That connection continues here as Etrigan the Demon makes his first appearance in the modern DCU. I haven’t been following Demon Knights since issue #7 so I have no idea what went on with Etrigan in that title. He’s a character that I never knew much about pre-New 52. So my exposure to Demon Knights early on gave me a good idea of what to expect in this issue where he was concerned.

Since this is the first part of a new arc, a new reader could start reading here and start with a fresh story. And while I think we get a good round of “introductions” to each character, it is obvious that with the exception of Apollo and Midnighter, they are all dealing with plotlines that have been laid out several issues before. So, it’s still a good idea to back track and get the early issues to really appreciate what’s going on here.

I was a little thrown off by artist Will Conrad having to split the issue with Cliff Richards. But thankfully they’re styles aren’t too different so it wasn’t jarring visually. In my opinion their rendition of Etrigan is much better than Guillem March’s version on the cover.

Since it is the beginning of a new story arc, all in all I think the issue was ok. It’s always hard to judge an issue when you know it’s a part one of a larger story. The first issue is usually set-up and that’s what we get here. But it is a great set-up and besides the story with Etrigan, we still have dangling plotlines involving Harry Tanner and that giant alien horn which will hopefully come to fruition soon.

Even though I felt this is the weakest issue of Stormwatch that we’ve gotten in a while, I can understand why. Peter Milligan has done well to carry this title forward. We’ve gotten six really good issues from him (and that awesome Red Lanterns #10 which was basically Stormwatch #9.5). So I can’t complain too much about an issue that allows us to step back and reset for a new story. This is still my favorite book each month and I’m curious to see how the team will deal with Etrigan.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

]]>DC HeroClix: Batman-Grifterhttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/09/dc-heroclix-batman-grifter/
Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:51:15 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2412Continue reading →]]>Oh happy day! I’ve known that Grifter was a part of this set for a while but to finally see it on the official site makes me want to tear up a little *sniff, sniff*. Anyway, I was a Heroclix player back when it first came out and got out of it around the time they introduced the cards into play. I’m not sure if I’ll go back to playing full time but I will say never did I think ANY Wildstorm characters would make it into this game. So to have the Wildcats as part of this Batman set is a truly a great treat!

Grifter’s powers definitely are reflected accurately here and I love how they incorporate ideas like Team 7 and the Gen-Factor into his abilities. You can tell that the designers had a real good attention to detail when designing the figures and I’m glad, because even though these characters are not as popular or well-known as the Batman figures in the set, I’m glad they’re finally getting some good exposure. Check out more here and see his full stats below.

The end of the series comes with a very “safe” zero issue. The origins of Voodoo are not so much told as clarified as we build on things that were previously revealed in the series. The saving grace for this issue was the last page where Williamson returns to his strength from earlier in the series, which is the ability to leave us with a cool cliffhanger.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since the New 52 started and as much as I hate that this title is ending I have to admit, it was always the underdog. Voodoo as a character, even in the old Wildstorm Universe, was a good character but to me her strength was in her interactions with the other Wildcats’ members. Here in the DCU it was a good idea to make her a spy for the Daemonites but for whatever reason, DC was not happy with where original writer Ron Marz was taking that idea. So, they brought in Josh Williamson to inject some new life into the series and he chose to do so by revealing that the Voodoo we’ve been following is a clone. It definitely worked for shock factor and got a lot of people curious but for some reason, it didn’t seem to carry the series beyond that.

Clone stories as always messy (just look back at the infamous Spider-man Clone Saga). They work good in theory but I think the key is not to let them go on too long. I feel that’s what happened with Voodoo. The clone thing should have been resolved before the series ended. But unfortunately, they left it as a dangling plotline that will be carried over into Grifter. Now I will say, the setup they have for Grifter at the end of this issue is not something I expected and actually sets up more interesting story possibilities. Even with the creative changes happening over in the Grifter title, I hope there was enough communication between both creative teams to let the end of this issue continue to play out in Grifter.

One thing I must reiterate before I’m done is I have thoroughly enjoyed Sami Basri as the artist on this title. The guy has done 13 consecutive issues! In today’s comic world that’s almost unheard of! There has never been a late issue nor have I ever felt that his art quality has declined. If there is a “Most Under-Appreciated” Award to be given out for the first year of the New 52, Sami Basri wins by a mile. I hope that DC utilizes him because if not, some other company will. I look forward to where they use Sami next.

Overall, the Voodoo series was just ok. It’s a shame because I want the Wildstorm characters to succeed so getting one of their books cancelled is never a good thing. On the bright side though, more people know about the character of Voodoo now. So when she becomes part of the Wildcats book that I know I’m hoping for, people will have some idea of who she is. Until then, at least she’s going to continue over in Grifter’s book.

6 out of 10 (Slightly above average)

]]>DC HeroClix: Batman-Warbladehttp://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/09/dc-heroclix-batman-warblade/
Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:51:41 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2397Continue reading →]]>Ok, so we talked about this over the summer but I said I wouldn’t post about it until we started getting some official pictures. Well, FINALLY we’re starting to get some (the set is coming out in November). So first up is Warblade. And like the other Wildcats in the set, its his classic look. He is listed as a unique which is pretty cool but it will make it a little more challenging to score one in a box. They really did well to have his stats reflect his different abilities and he has WildC.A.T.s listed on his card which I’m not clear yet if it’s going to be a new team ability.

Go to the main site here for more info on his stats and be sure to check out the figure and his card image below.

Grifter’s zero issue turns out to be a major mind-screw and Liefeld and Tieri play with our senses, making the audience question what’s real and what’s not. It’s a very interesting technique and a bold choice for the zero issue. It’s not as epic as the last issue, but definitely sets up a ton of questions that carry us into the next arc for this series.

I’m willing to bet Liefeld and Tieri have both seen Christopher Nolan’s film, Memento because that’s what immediately came to mind with the issue. (If you’ve never seen it, go watch it now!) Much like that movie messes with the viewers perception, so does this issue. When I saw it started out in the past with appearances by Grifter’s brother Max and fellow Team 7 member, John Lynch, I was ready for a nice “early adventures” story. But no, Liefeld and Tieri were not satisfied with that. And maybe after our complaints of the simplicity of their early issues, I think it was a good choice. By the end of the issue I’m just as confused as Grifter is in story, but in this case, that’s a good thing. I just hope that the rewrites Liefeld mentioned during his departure from DC don’t affect what’s set up here too much.

If any of you are checking out the newly re-launched Valiant Universe, another book this reminded me of is Bloodshot. The origins here (won’t spoil anything) are VERY similar. I’m actually ok with that because I like both characters but it’s interesting that the most recent issue, Bloodshot #2 was so similar to Grifter #0. Both characters are really having their mind messed with. And on top of that, this issue establishes that instead of there being two opposing sides pulling to use Grifter as their weapon, there are actually three! When Liefeld and Tieri wrote Grifter as being The Chosen One, they weren’t kidding. Everyone seems to want Grifter on their side!

The introduction of the new character Warwick is interesting. He seems to have potential and I hope Tieri (now on the book without Liefeld) will take some chances while doing the classic student/mentor story. If I had any complaints about the issue it’s that it felt too short. The flip side of that is I think it felt short because we get some awesome full-pages of art from Scott Clark. So it wasn’t all bad.

Well, issue 12 was epic, this issue was perplexing but interesting, so I’m seeing a positive trend with this title now. Plus, we get Voodoo joining the title next month so it’ll be cool to see two former Wildcats team members interacting again. Things are looking up for Grifter!

Zero Month in the New 52 also brings a new wave of books with it and one of those is Team 7; a legendary team from the old Wildstorm Universe. Much like a Mission Impossible movie, Justin Jordan is tasked with introducing (or re-introducing) lots of characters in this book. It’s a fast-paced issue that does its job well by not only being an awesome origin issue but also a great jumping on point for anyone who wants another chance to get into the New 52.

I have to start off by saying Team 7 was one of my favorite books in the original Wildstorm Universe. It was the genesis for a lot of the characters then and its repercussions were felt throughout that universe from then on. It was smart of DC to keep the spirit of that idea by having a mixture of established DC characters, some original Team 7 members from Wildstorm, and then a few new characters sprinkled in just for good measure. The idea that the government would put together a team to defend against what they perceive as the superhuman threat makes so much sense.

Another plus for me in this book was seeing one of my favorite Wildstorm characters of all-time, John Lynch. He was basically the Nick Fury of the WSU and popped up all the time through many of the Wildstorm titles. It was appropriate that he’s the one putting the team together but instead of being out in the field himself. he’s letting Black Canary do that (yes, I know she’s hasn’t officially assumed that mantle at this time). She was a good thread through this story as we see her recruiting the different members. They even pick up threads from Birds of Prey concerning her future husband, Kurt Lance. Jordan has done well to keep all these stories from the past year straight.

As much as I enjoyed the book, my one nitpick is I’m not a big fan of Jesus Merino’s art. I saw his art in the early issues of Superman and he is a decent artist, but a lot of his work just falls flat for me. The opening pages with Lynch were awesome but as the issue progressed, I just liked it less and less. It is by no means bad art. It’s just not my favorite. Again, I’ll admit it’s just a nitpick because I really did enjoy the book.

As a zero issue, this was done well. It introduced everyone and set things up for next month’s issue one. Overall, it was good but not great. I think after I read #1 next month I may come to appreciate the zero issue more. But unlike some of the other zero issues which had twelve issues precede them, this book had the luxury of actually starting off fresh. I am so happy to have this team in the New 52 and I look forward to see where Jordan takes us.

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #12, Grifter #12, Ravagers #4 and Voodoo #12, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #38 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:12 – Joe gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

Rob Liefeld has quit DC Comics. Apparently, zero issue is his last. Frank Tieri mentioned on Twitter that he’s staying on the title. Liefeld mentioned that Marat Mychels will take over art duties on Grifter and Scott Clark is moving to Deathstroke.

In November, Team 7 #2 has a variant cover by Brett Booth and Grifter #14 has a rematch between Grifter and Midnighter.

Our Gen 13: deviantART Club is still going. 5 years strong now! Our current art contest is a Back to School theme. If you’d like to participate, head to http://gen13-club.deviantart.com/ to join.

Check out our new Facebook Fan Page for Team 7 http://www.facebook.com/team7comic and in case you missed it, there are also FB fan pages for Stormwatch, Grifter, Voodoo, and even a Wildcats page, all of which can be found under the Likes Section of the Team 7 page.

Old WS creator-owned title, Casey Blue Beyond Tomorrow #1 is up at comixology. It was drawn by former Gen 13 artist Carlo Barberi and written by B. Clay Moore. It’s only $0.99.

TWIT guest Patrick Norton @patricknorton from Tekzilla announced his favorite comic book character to be The Midnighter on episode #365 watch it here at the 24:45 mark: http://twit.tv/show/this-week-in-tech/365

00:09:58 – Ben starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #12. Released on 8/01, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad & Julio Ferreira and cover by Scott Clark. Did you see that ending coming? I submit that you did not!

00:25:55 – Joe follows up on his thoughts for the twelfth issue of Stormwatch.

00:31:12 – Joe reviews Grifter #12. Released on 8/08, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Scott Clark and cover by Rob Liefeld.

00:42:16 – Ben gives his assessment on Grifter #12. The best issue since the hostel takeover of this book!

00:44:10 – Ben reviews the fouth issue of the Ravagers. Released on 8/08, written by Howard Mackie with art by Daniel Sampere & Stefano Martino and cover by Ian Churchill. I love the muscle men!!!

00:54:51 – Joe gives his thoughts on the Ravagers.

00:58:26 – Joe gives his review of Voodoo #12. Released on on 8/22, written by Josh Williamson with art and cover by Sami Basri, finally! Last regular issue of this title.

01:07:11 – Ben gives his assessment on the last issue of Voodoo’s own title.

01:08:53 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #12’s that have released last month.

01:13:10 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 9/05

STORMWATCH #0 The history of Stormwatch’s activities in The New 52 are revealed! A new villain arrives, and the safety of the team has never been more in doubt!

For the week of 9/12

GRIFTER #0 What is the dark truth behind Grifter’s powers? Find out in this issue! Plus: More on the Daemonite threat, new characters are introduced, and tons of bullets fly!

RAVAGERS #0 Detailing the brutal abduction by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. of Beast Boy and Terra! Learn how the paths of these two heroes will affect the entire team!

DEATHSTROKE #0 What horrors led Slade Wilson to become Deathstroke – the most dangerous killer in the world? More on the history of Team 7 and the first appearance of a fan-favorite character in The New 52!

TEAM 7 #0 Threads of the entire DC Universe collide in this new series set in the early days of The New 52 from writer Justin Jordan (The Strange Talents of Luther Strode). As Superman emerges, so too does the world’s counter measures against him and his kind! Dinah Lance, Amanda Waller, Steve Trevor, John Lynch, Alex Fairchild, Cole Cash, Slade Wilson are Team 7 – and their story will change everything you know about The New 52!

For the week of 9/26

VOODOO #0 The truth about Pris is revealed at last as she sets off on a mission for vengeance that can only end in genocide!

01:14:40 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics over the summer.

01:15:55 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/09/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-38/feed/2Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #12, Grifter #12, Ravagers #4 and Voodoo #12, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in t...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #12, Grifter #12, Ravagers #4 and Voodoo #12, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #36 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:18:52Stormwatch #0http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/09/stormwatch-0/
Wed, 05 Sep 2012 21:25:27 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2364Continue reading →]]>“Crash Course”

DC’s Zero Month kicks off strong with a revealing and surprise-guest filled issue. The team’s deep roots in the DCU New 52 are laid out and they answer a few questions while posing some interesting new ones. They’re really pushing Stormwatch as the hidden dimension of the DCU and so far I think they’re doing a great job!

The issue focuses mainly on Jenny Quantum, the DCU’s current Century Baby. A surprise visitor shows up and shares with her the history of the Century Babies and their importance to the world. It’s no secret that even when Paul Cornell was writing this title, he let it be known that this title had ties to his current writing assignment, Demon Knights. The connection is finally explained here and I thought it was great! The old Wildstorm concepts continue to merge in very interesting ways with the DCU. There is also a cameo by an old Wildstorm favorite that fans of The Authority will love!

Not only do we get some great connections to DC’s past, we also learn more about what Stormwatch wants concerning the superheroes. It is a conflict that I predict will have Stormwatch confront the Justice League and the other DC heroes sometime in the future. It will be an epic conflict when it does happen.

Finally, I must mention that I’m really liking Will Conrad as artist on this title. He reminds me of a more refined Miguel Sepulveda (who did the early issues of the series). They both seem to have similar line work but I think Conrad’s is cleaner. I also think he does a more accurate representation of the characters. Between Ignacio Calero and Will Conrad, I’m glad they’re keeping good artists on this book.

The first outing for Zero Month for me was a hit! The issue delivered as promised. It showed us the hidden history of Stormwatch, it showed their connection to Demon Knights, and threw in more Wildstorm concepts just for good measure. I hope there is a round of fans who are picking up all the zero issues as a good jumping on point. If nothing else, I hope the story will intrigue them enough to want to back track and find out more.

The regular series story arc comes to an end and it surprisingly leaves a lot of dangling plotlines. Even though the series ends after issue zero next month, it is interesting that there’s so many unresolved stories but thankfully they appear to have plans to continue them elsewhere.

Even though we still have the zero issue next month, for all intends and purposes this is the last issue of the series. The zero issues promises to tell Voodoo’s origin instead of moving the series forward. However, it will be interesting to see if it ties at all with the events we saw in this issue.

There was a certain resolution to this story that I think most people were expecting. The end of the story doesn’t come to pass exactly like most thought. This is good and bad in my opinion. When Williamson introduced the clone aspect of the story it was definitely a shocker. But as the series went on, the issue of Voodoo and her clone kind of lost its wow factor. The resolution Williamson picked is definitely unexpected and does leave open a lot of possibilities but I was still a little disappointed this was the route they chose to go.

The issue ended up being a lot of set up for plotlines that we can only hope are carried over into other titles. The solicitations have already shown us that Voodoo shows up in Grifter #13 so it’s good to see they’re not just letting the character be shelved. Now, whether Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri over in Grifter will carry some of these plotlines forward remains to be seen. The one consolation is that so far in the New 52 they have been really good at keeping the interconnectedness of the DCU so let’s hope that continues even when a book gets cancelled.

I’m glad we get at least one more month of artist Sami Basri. Other than seeing he’s doing a Supergirl issue in October after Voodoo is done, he is absent for any of the solicitations in November. I am also happy they finally gave him the cover of this issue! He’s gone twelve issues and never done one. There was the time period after John Tyler Christopher stopped doing covers that I think covers by Basri would’ve been a much better choice than what we got.

Overall, the series seemed to coast to its conclusion here. I am curious to see what revelations we get in the zero issue next month but for now, I think the series is pretty much done. It’s sad that we’re losing this title but I’m glad we’ll be seeing Voodoo over in Grifter afterwards.

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #11, Grifter #11, Ravagers #3 and Voodoo #11, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:34 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #37 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:12 – Ben gives only a little bit of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

20 years ago this month in August 1992, WildC.A.T.s #1 was released!

In October, Voodoo joins Grifter with issue 13, Team 7 #1 debuts with a Jim Lee variant and mentions Gamorra, Superboy shows up in Ravagers #5, and Deathstroke #13 solicitation reads “Deathstroke and Zealot learn the terrible fate of the planet Kheran and brace for the long-lasting repercussions it will have on the DC Universe.” (Kheran a typo or new name for the Kherubim homeworld as it was traditionally Khera?)

Grifter Vol 1: Most Wanted trade came out July 25th which collects issues #1-8, Nathan Edmondson’s entire run with art by CAFU and Scott Clark.

DC Heroclix: Batman is coming Nov. 2012 and as part of the set release, there are pictures of figures for the Wildstorm versions of Grifter, Maul, Voodoo, and Zealot.

Rob Liefeld announces that his current run at DC will end his run on superhero books to focus on creator-owned projects.

Joe mentions his twitter conversation with Brett Booth about bringing back Backlash into the new DCU 52.

00:05:50 – Joe starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #11. Released on 7/04, written by Peter Milligan with art by Eduardo Pansica and Ignacio Calero with a cover by Scott Clark, Dave Beaty, and Pete Pantazis. Also four inkers on this issue! Joe comes up with some great anime references that remind him of some of the scenes that happen in this issue.

00:20:20 – Ben follows up on his thoughts for the eleventh issue of Stormwatch….it’s no Grifter, and that’s a good thing, a very good thing!

00:22:44 – Ben reviews Grifter #11. Released on 7/11, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels, inks by Rob Hunter with cover by Rob Liefeld. One word, childish.

00:30:27 – Joe gives his assessment on Grifter #11…not much to say really. He did like Marat Mychaels’ art at least. But how can Grifter continue to have these amazing powers without a penalty of some sort, even Superman has kryptonite.

00:36:16 – Joe reviews the third issue of the Ravagers. Released on 7/11, written by Howard Mackie with art and cover by Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund. Joe really likes this book because it feels the most fresh of the bunch as far as the ideas that are being dealt with for each issue.

00:48:56 – Ben gives his thoughts on the Ravagers, which are pretty close to Joe’s feeling on this title as well. Being unfamiliar with the “color” concepts carried over from Animal Man and Swamp Thing has him intrigued enough to catch up on those title to better understand where it’s all coming from. He’s also glad that they’ve pivoted away from “the Culling” crossover story line and seem to have their own problems to deal with at the moment, survival and all.

00:50:46 – Ben gives his review of Voodoo #11. Released on on 7/25, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by Paulo Siqueira. Loving it to the very end!!!

01:04:23 – Joe gives his assessment on Voodoo #11, not before naming the power that Priscilla has by Dragonite-ing out. He’s bummed out that this title feels like it’s giving up at the end as it has clearly been better than Grifter. Even though it’s cancelled it doesn’t have to feel that way.

01:07:42 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #11’s that have released last month.

7/25 The Savage Hawkman #11 – another Pike appearance, not much, just another cameo

01:11:34 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

RAVAGERS #4 Betrayal, revelations, blood, and DEATH come to the group as some find themselves powerless to the seductive charms and horrific powers of BROTHER BLOOD. RIDGE is prepared as a blood sacrifice to indoctrinate the newest members of Brother Blood’s cult. NOT everyone will survive this fatal encounter.

DEATHSTROKE #12 The final battle with LOBO by new writer/artist ROB LIEFELD!

For the week of 8/22

VOODOO #12 VOODOO and PRIS are ready for the fight of their lives…against each other! Is this the end for VOODOO?

THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #12 HAWKMAN vs. ST. BASTION – with PIKE, an incredible assassin with key info about Hawkman’s past, caught in the middle!

I, VAMPIRE #12 ANDREW BENNETT’S hold over the vampires is about to collapse as STORMWATCH attacks.

01:12:55 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics over the summer. Joe’s voicemail got moved to Ep. 78 because of San Diego Comic Con. And finally, an old Image favorite Cyberforce is coming back in a unique way through Kickstarter. Go to www.kickstarter.com and type in Cyberforce or (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/620244384/cyber-force-returns)

01:15:37 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #11, Grifter #11, Ravagers #3 and Voodoo #11, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in t...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #11, Grifter #11, Ravagers #3 and Voodoo #11, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.<br />
<br />
Ben welcomes everyone to episode #37 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:17:02Ravagers #4http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/08/ravagers-4/
Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:11:20 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2324Continue reading →]]>“Unchained”

Another solid issue of Ravagers as the team’s confrontation with Brother Blood escalates. Seeds for DC’s upcoming crossover “Rotworld” are planted here and continue to show the connectedness of the New 52. My only disappointment with the issue is that we got filler artists and we’re only four issues into the series. But thankfully the fill-in artists were good so it didn’t’ detract from the story.

I am so glad I’m caught up on Animal Man and Swamp thing because they have established the idea of The Green, The Red, and The Rot. These are concepts that are so grand it’s no surprise they are being touched up here. It’s a good feeling when you realize a comic universe has true continuity. I hope that gone are the days when the Justice League fends off an intergalactic threat and other heroes in the DCU are oblivious to this. Kudos to DC’s editorial teams who are in charge of keeping it all straight. Here we get ties to The Red through Beast Boy and Brother Blood. It was a good way to get Beast Boy and Terra back with the group while still eluding to some bigger going on.

I was kind of bummed that Ian Churchill wasn’t doing the issue and that we got filler artists. But artists Sampere and Martino did do a good job. I thought their art was really good and it fit with what Churchill has been doing so far. Also, even though there were two artists, I couldn’t really see where the break in the issue was. This was nice because it wasn’t visually jarring. I’m glad DC is so far ahead of the game with the New 52 that we can have issues like this and it doesn’t feel like an interruption to the title like so many other titles have suffered from in the past.

The title as a whole is still pretty strong. The characters are really interesting especially the dynamic between the group and Fairchild. I like how she questions whether or not she can help these kids because they’ve been training to fight almost their entire lives. The question of whether or not they can ever have a normal life is a valid argument and one I think writer Howard Mackie presents well.

The issues ends of a nice cliffhangers and reminds us of the books ties to some of the other Young Justice titles. However, there will be a 60 day wait for the resolution to the cliffhanger because next month is zero month which promises the origin of Beast Boy and Terra. It should be an interesting read.

Much like a true grifter, Liefeld and Tieri have been holding this issue close to their vest. After a frustrating start to their run, they bring their first arc to a close in grand fashion. Despite all the previous complaints about their run they manage to bring it all together and give us a nice conclusion while still setting up more for future events. Finally, a Grifter issue that I really enjoyed!

So, it’s no secret that I haven’t been enjoying these last few issues of Grifter. But I will say that they have gotten progressively better and this issue is by far the best since this creative team took over. Even knowing that this was the endgame, I’m not sure I still would’ve liked the previous issues. But this ended up being one of the most enjoyable issues of the entire series so far. I even liked the cover for this one because it seems Liefeld took more time with it. Speaking of art, Scott Clark is at the top of his game again and I can see how handing over last issues’ art duties helped him spend more time here.

I also thought Tieri’s dialogue was much better here. It all seemed to flow well and I liked the inner monologue Grifter had because it added more to the scenes and gave us insight into him that we wouldn’t have otherwise. On top of all this, we get a confrontation between Grifter and Helspont. In the Wildstorm universe, I don’t think these two ever had a one-on-one fight. But the Wildstorm Grifter probably couldn’t have taken Helspont on his own like DCU Grifter apparently can. I still wish there was some consequence for Grifter using his new powers but in order to hold his own against Helspont, I can see why they’d have to amp up his power.

Even Deathblow got a little redemption as a character here because he had been taken out pretty easily last issue. So it’s nice to see Deathblow can still be a bad-ass. I’m also surprised that so many of the supporting cast are surviving some of the events in these last few issues. It’s kind of nice to have characters that are not just created for the sake of cannon fodder. It also starts to build Helspont’s entourage which is something he had in the Wildstorm universe, even if they were different characters back then.

I hope this issue is an indication of things to come. If this is a sign that Liefeld and Tieri have gotten their grove with the title, then it was worth sifting through those early issues. I also like that the end of issue has ties to other DC books (won’t spoil which one) which continues to show the inter-connectedness of the New 52. For the first time in months, I look forward to the next issue of Grifter!

Stormwatch hits a year of being on the stands in grand fashion. As the solicitation lets us know, Martian Manhunter isn’t sticking around anymore and the way in which he decides to leave is heart-breaking. It’s this kind of emotion that keeps this title in the tops books I pick up each month.

When the title started a year ago, people questioned why Martian Manhunter was included on the team. The rest of the team was basically The Authority with a couple of new members thrown in. So Manhunter’s inclusion was viewed as forced by many. However, over the course of the series reader’s have been treated a Martian Manhunter that has a darker edge to him than his pre-New 52 incarnation. This tweak on the character’s personally has made him a very interesting and tragic character. We even saw that in this new universe he did try to join the Justice League but the results were disastrous. He then goes into hiding helping out Stormwatch but apparently his plan was never to stay with them indefinitely.

Many argue that they saw this move coming and that they expect him to be welcomed into the Justice League with open arms now but I’m not so sure it’ll go that way. Obviously, him joining the Justice League is what the majority of fans want but I prefer him being the loner who has to infiltrate different DC teams in the interest of some greater as yet unrevealed plan. As I said before, when he enacts his plan to leave Stormwatch, it is heart-breaking, especially when he has his interaction with Jenny Quantum. He’s been a mentor to her and you can see how the betrayal affects her when he acts.

Milligan still takes time to have fun with the title as we get some great fights in the issue and we even get a nice joke about Midnighter’s chin spike. It’s funny that Milligan recognizes all the fans jokes about that thing. We also had Will Conrad and Julio Ferreira on the art and I enjoyed it a lot. It was solid and they got to draw some great scenes with the characters, especially with Harry Tanner at the end.

Speaking of Mr. Tanner, I cannot emphasize enough how much I love him as a villain. The best villains are always the ones who lay out master plans. He’s very intelligent and knows that he can’t beat Stormwatch with brute force so he’s enacting a plan that will allow him to beat them in a more unconventional way. Good heroes always need good villains and I’m glad this title has one.

This is one of those comics that reminds me why I love this industry so much. The high-concepts, the great characters, the “special effects” that would cost a fortune to do in the real world. It’s issues like this that make me glad I’m a comic fan and after next month’s zero issue, I eagerly anticipate where Milligan and company take us next.

The countdown continues as we near the end of this series. The story is leading to the inevitable confrontation but the surprises and big revelations of the earlier issues are non-existence. Ultimately, the one factor left that’s the most interesting is how will the issue of two Voodoo’s existing in the DCU be solved?

I’ve mentioned this about the previous couple of issues but it bears repeating here because it’s still true. This title just seems to be going through he motions here at the end. I think Williamson spoiled us with all the surprises and revelations early on and we’ve come to expect it now. However, as I’ve stated before I can’t help shake the feeling that the change in tone for the book is due to Williamson learning the book was going to be cancelled. Regardless, let me pull some things from this title that I still enjoy.

Despite all the changes, Sami Basri as artist has been the one consistently good thing about this book. I noticed that he’s listed as the new artist for Supergirl come October. Thank God DC recognized his talent and didn’t let him fall by the way side. I’m also glad that they put him on another title with a female lead because he’s great at drawing beautiful women. I’ve always loved his rendition of Voodoo and little things like his facial expressions still capture the characters in the book perfectly.

We’ve seen that Voodoo is being graphed into Grifter’s title after her own is done. This is not only exciting because we get to see more of her, but also because she’s reuniting with one of her old Wildstorm crew. After some hints Rob Liefeld dropped at San Diego Comic Con this year about a possible Wildcats title, I’m hoping that this is another step DC has laid out to get to that goal.

The Voodoo title is not as strong as it once was but maybe that speaks to why it’s being cancelled. She’s a great character and I’m glad DC is not abandoning her. Hopefully the next issue will prove to be a great confrontation and afterward the zero issue will answer lots of questions about the character.

Ravagers continues to prove its a fresh new book in the New 52. It also takes time to introduce an old Teen Titans villain into the mix and even starts alluding to storylines started over in Animal Man and Swamp Thing. It’s unexpected connections to the rest of the DCU that are keeping this book interesting and reminding us just how inter-connected the New 52 has been.

In order to give Ian Churchill a break, or possibly to allow him time to catch up, we actually have two artists in this issue. Now normally I don’t like when artists split an issue but here they found a smart way to do it. Churchill illustrates the scenes with Fairchild and her group while Tom Raney does the scenes with Terra and Beast Boy. This made it not so jarring because as we changed artists, we changed scenes as well. Definitely a smart move and it made for an interesting visual shift throughout the issue.

Chruchill gets to have some fun as we get some fan service this issue as we basically have Thunder, Lightning, and even Ridge naked for the majority of the issue. Since Austin Powers have I not seen so many conveniently placed arms, panels, and even power effects as they keep Lightning covered up. I thought it was a fun thing to do in the middle of an issue that did have some seriousness to it as well. Plus, Churchill does know how to draw beautiful women so that helped as well.

The one surprise of the issue is the allusion to storylines concerning The Red which were started over in Animal Man and Swamp Thing. Thank goodness a friend lent me those issues recently otherwise I would not have know what they’re talking about (sorry, but it’s a little too much to go into for this review). It not only explains why Beast Boy is red now but also continues to make the New 52 feel inter-connected and that different books are actually important for each other in unexpected ways.

I was actually surprised to see a sharp sales drop from issue 1 to issue 2. I’m not sure what people are not enjoying about this book. It’s got good art, good story, and a fresh concept that didn’t exist Pre-Flashpoint. Maybe because it’s the new team and new concept for DC that people don’t know what to make of it. Regardless, out of the New 52 books I pull, I think it’s my second favorite so far. I hope buzz about it will drive more people to try it.

After taking a sharp 180 with the new creative team a couple of issues back, the Grifter title has been a mixed bag. However, much like last issue’s surprise revelation, Tieri and Liefeld are starting to interject some interesting twists that are reminiscent of what Josh Williamson did when he came on Voodoo’s book. Hopefully, these twists will be enough to get people drawn back to this book.

I’ll admit the last couple of issues of Grifter haven’t exactly been my favorite. But since then I’ve had to take the perspective that this is like a new book and instead of issue 11, this is more like issue 3 of a new series. This version of Grifter is more like he was in the old Wildstorm U and as long as I keep that in mind, I can enjoy the series more.

First off, it was a nice surprise to see Marat Mychaels drawing this issue. He’s one of Liefeld’s regulars and he normally pencils Liefeld’s creations or will assist with any projects Liefeld’s working on. I actually met him at Wizard World-Austin in 2010. He’s a really nice guy and I do like his art. Since he’s from the early days of Image, much like Scott Clark, Mychaels art takes me back. He’s also good at doing action which we learned from writer Frank Tieri last month that this was one of DC’s mandates for the title. In that, the title is certainly not lacking.

But my one concern about that mandate is it doesn’t leave Liefeld and Tieri enough time let us get to know Grifter. It’s funny because Grifter even comments that “Lately, life’s been a friggin’ whirlwind.” I don’t think he could’ve summed up the title better. In getting the creators to focus on action, they are meeting a classic aspect of the character but there’s so much more that can be done. That said, I do appreciate a nice twist the writers throw in at the end but again, because they’re made to focus on action so much, a twist is all they have room for. After talking with Tieri it just makes me wish editorial would leave writers alone because I’d be curious to see what they could do without all these mandates thrown at them.

Next issue is set to be interesting as we have another appearance by Helspont promised in the solicits. Like I’ve said before, I support this title even if I don’t agree with everything that’s being done in it. I just want this character to be successful in the New 52 and between this title and the upcoming Team 7 title, I’m glad he’s getting a lot of exposure.

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #10, Grifter #10, Ravagers #2 and Voodoo #10, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:34 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #36 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:13 – Joe gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

September is DC’s Zero Month where all titles will get a zero issue to fill in some gaps not yet explained in the New 52. Four new titles are coming during the month and one of them is a Team 7 book, written by Justin Jordan and art by Jesus Merino. The solicitation reads, “Set in the early days of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, threads of the entire DC Universe collide. As Superman emerges, so does the world’s counter measures against him and his kind. Team 7 is comprised of Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Amanda Waller, Steve Trevor, John Lynch, Alex Fairchild, Cole Cash, Slade Wilson – and their story will change everything you know about DC COMICS-THE NEW 52.”

Unfortunately, this good news comes with some bad news as Voodoo #0 will be the last issue of the series. However, Grifter survived this round of cancellations so we’ll still have 4 regular titles featuring Wildstorm characters and hopefully some more guest appearances throughout the DCU as we’ve been seeing so far.

DC released some advance trade info for 2013, including the following:

“DC Universe by Alan Moore TP” Collects several of Alan Moore’s DC works but also collects some of his Wildstorm works which includes WILDSTORM SPOTLIGHT #1, VOODOO #1-4, DEATHBLOW: BYBLOWS #1-3 and WILDC.A.T.S #50. (The HC of this came out March of this year)

00:08:08 – Ben starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #10. Released released on 6/06, written by Peter Milligan with art by Ignacio Calero and cover by Miguel Sepulveda.

00:24:30 – Joe follows up on his thoughts for the tenth issue of Stormwatch, which were much like Ben’s on this one, just an okay issue for Stormwatch’s standard. Not too great and not terrible either. A setup for hopefully some great things to come.

00:27:09 – Joe reviews Grifter #10. Released on 6/13, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Scott Clark and cover by Rob Liefeld. Two months in a row Joe doesn’t like where this title is going, especially as the dialogue that is being written for Grifter. However he does say that it is the better of the last two and it did have a readership increase of about 1,000 copies for the month which is a good sign.

00:37:48 – Ben gives his assessment on Grifter #2, I mean #10, right? And the baddie at the end actually reminded him of a portly Attica.

00:39:40 – Ben reviews the second issue of the Ravagers. Released on 6/13, written by Howard Mackie with art and cover by Ian Churchill. With two new baddie characters introduced it’s hard for me to remember if I’ve seen them both after how many bad guys were in the Culling crossover.

00:47:20 – Joe gives his thoughts on the Ravagers and gives us some insight on the new mythos in the new 52 about the animals, the green, and the rot. Joe is loving this book and especially Ian Churchill’s artwork.

00:49:54 – Joe gives his review of Voodoo #10. Released on on 6/27, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by Paulo Siqueira. Joe didn’t dig this issue that much because he felt like it slowed down a bit thinking that Josh knew the title was ending.

00:57:39 – Ben gives his assessment on Voodoo #10, which he was along for the ride from the beginning of the issue despite its many, many problems. It just had a fun vibe to it realizing that this title is coming to a close.

00:59:06 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #10’s that have released last month.

6/27 The Savage Hawkman #10 – Pike appears, is called Kherubim, and talks about how his destiny is to kill Hawkman (reminiscent of his destiny to kill a Wildcat in WSU)

01:01:21 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

For the week of 7/05 (New books on Thursday because of the holiday, or not apparently because both Joe and I were able to get books on the 4th!)

STORMWATCH #11 THE ENGINEER takes center stage! There is a shadow organization as old as STORMWATCH…but who are they and what secrets do they hold?

For the week of 7/11

GRIFTER #11 GRIFTER faces off against the powerful DAEMONITE known as SYNGE! DEATHBLOW and CHESHIRE are along for the ride – and that’s your guarantee that the action won’t stop!

RAVAGERS #3 BROTHER BLOOD is here to destroy your heroes! BEAST BOY and TERRA continue to feel the ramifications of THE CULLING!

DEATHSTROKE #11 DEATHSTROKE, ZEALOT and the OMEGAS vs. LOBO! DEATHSTROKE races to find the crashed STARPOINT cruiser and the ship’s WORLD BREAKER protocol!

For the week of 7/25

VOODOO #11 “DEAD CITY” continues as Pris is forced to team up with VOODOO to survive an onslaught of mutated DAEMONITES!

THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #11 HAWKMAN inches closer to answers about who he is and why he is being hunted! Introducing ST. BASTION! He’ll stop at nothing to discover the secrets of the scrolls Carter Hal revealed in issue #9! (more Pike? He will be on the cover of issue #12 for sure)

01:02:06 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics over the summer.

01:03:20 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/07/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-36/feed/2Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #10, Grifter #10, Ravagers #2 and Voodoo #10, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in t...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #10, Grifter #10, Ravagers #2 and Voodoo #10, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #36 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Plenty of Wildstorm news to cover this month. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:05:20Stormwatch #11http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/07/stormwatch-11/
Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:21:41 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2264Continue reading →]]>“Devolver”

After a slow-paced last issue, Stormwatch is back and kicking this month. Milligan takes an odd premise but puts a spin on it that creates a truly threatening adversary for Stormwatch. Other than some problems with shifting in the inks for the art, we get a strong issue that leaves some great threads open for future stories.

Who ever thought that Neanderthals would be threatening? Well obviously Peter Milligan did and he does a good job of convincing us of the same in this issue. Even though the last issue was a little slow, between these two issue Milligan gives us some very interesting history about Stormwatch as an organization. He’s really taking the idea that this team has been around for centuries and running with it. One of the best things about this is he’s doing it in some pretty memorable flashbacks. The summaries he’s giving about past events could easily be series of their own. But the way he presents them they’re so matter of fact and they feel like history that’s legitimate.

We also get to focus on The Engineer a bit and get to see a glimpse of her origin. It’s very similar to her Wildstorm origin except we get to see how gruesome it was. Also as in the original WSU, we see that she had a predecessor. It’s cool to see these comparisons to the old universe. We also get more info about her and Harry Tanner’s relationship (which was only teased in the early issues). It not only adds more to her character but adds more to Tanner who I’m pretty close to deciding is my favorite character of the book. At the very least, he’s my favorite villain so far.

My only complaint is the use of the inkers in the issue. There are 5 of them! Now, for the flashbacks I did appreciate the different inking style because it distinguished those scenes from the present day scenes. It was actually some of the present day scenes that I did not enjoy very much. Especially since I like Calero’s art and I felt some of the inkers were not doing his work justice. But I guess in the interest of meeting deadlines, sometimes these things are necessary.

I’m really excited for this new direction for the book. So far Stormwatch has had some interesting adversaries but they’ve been taken care of pretty quickly. I’m glad to see villains here who are meant to last more than one issue. I’m looking forward to what those evil Neanderthals have planned next (I can’t believe I just typed that sentence).

The latest issue of Voodoo takes the book in a new direction (literally) as the setting for the story switches to outer space. The story is interesting and strong art by Basri continue to make it a good title but the recent news of the titles cancellation kind of put a damper on things.

It was hard to read this issue without having in the back of my mind that we only have 3 issues left (including the zero issue). I knew this title was in trouble and that cancellation was looming, but it still doesn’t make it any easier to take. All along, as much as I love Voodoo, I’m not sure she should’ve had her own title. She’s always seemed to work better in a team setting. Despite the creative team change, the title’s days are numbered.

I wonder if by this point Williamson knew this because these last two issues haven’t been as strong as his premiere issues. He was hitting us with wild revelations and leaving us with crazy cliffhangers early on. But the last couple of issues kind of seem like he’s just going through the motions of the story. It’s kind of how Nathan Edmondson’s writing seemed to shift when he found out he was leaving the title. Obviously it would take Williamson himself to confirm this, but it’s just an observation.

We do get some interesting revelations about the Daemonite culture which has been a theme between this and Grifter’s title lately. It’s cool to see the new mythos surrounding the DCU Daemonites growing. It’s ideas we’ll have to wait and see if they carry on after the title is gone.

Basri’s art is still the one constant in this title. I’m curious to see where they’ll place him after the title is done. He’s a great talent and I’d hate to see him not used after this. I could never think of which artist Basri’s art reminded but of until I realized it’s very reminiscent of the Luna Brothers over at Image. It’s got a real clean, almost animated tone to it and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

I hope the adventure on Europa turns out to be memorable at least. It’s never fun to be enjoying a book only to know that the issues will end soon. All we can do is see what Williamson has up his sleeve for the character as they get ready to turn out the lights.

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the DCU “The Culling” crossover of Teen Titans Annual #1, Superboy #9, Legion Lost #9 and Teen Titans #9 as well as the spin-off from the Culling crossover and the only new title from the new DCU 52 Ravagers #1.

00:00:34 – Ben welcomes everyone to a special episode #35 for the month of June 2012 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free unless otherwise noted and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:02:25 – Joe gives an overview of Teen Titans Annual #1 (Part 1 of 4, “The Culling”), released on 5/02, written by Scott Lobdell and Tom DeFalco with art and cover by Brett Booth. This was a long issue and Joe did an epic job giving this review! (Even though I told him to keep it tight ;-P)

00:22:43 – Ben summarizes Superboy #9 (Part 2 of 4, “Lost Claws”) released on 5/09, written by Scott Lobdell with art by R.B. Silva. This issue focuses on Superboy’s part in this fight and his mental tug of war of which side of the fight he truly should be part of.

00:30:34 – Joe tries to breeze through Legion Lost #9 (Part 3 of 4, “Unbeatable”) released on 5/09, written by Tom DeFalco with art by Pete Woods. This is Joe’s first ever Legion Lost issue he has read which focuses on the team and why Harvest brought them into this fight and possibly this century!

00:37:54 – Ben blurbs Teen Titans #9 (Part 4 of 4, “If This be Victory!”) released on 5/23, written by Scott Lobdell with art by Ig Guara and cover by Brett Booth.

00:45:11 – Joe gives a brief review of the Ravagers #1 (Part 5 of 4?, “Children of Destiny”) released on 5/30, written by Howard Mackie with art by and cover by Ian Churchill.

00:54:01 – Ben and Joe each summarize their thoughts about the books and the multi-title crossover as a whole.

00:57:05 – Ben gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com.

For the week of 6/06

STORMWATCH #10 – Welcoming the art team of IGNACIO CALERO and SEAN PARSONS as a new epic begins! HARRY TANNER returns to take on STORMWATCH! More secrets of the team’s past are revealed!

RED LANTERNS #10 – Welcome new artist MIGUEL SEPULVEDA, continued from last month’s STORMWATCH #9! BLEEZ and the rest of the surviving RED LANTERNS head for ZAMARON to confront the STAR SAPPHIRES about their role in the poisoning of the RED POWER LANTERN.

For the week of 6/13

GRIFTER #10 – GRIFTER faces off against the DAEMONITES alongside DEATHBLOW and CHESHIRE!

SUPERBOY #10 – WONDER GIRL, SOLSTICE, RED ROBIN, KID FLASH and BUNKER all guest-star in a story that connects to this month’s TEEN TITANS #10. Don’t miss SUPERBOY and WONDER GIRL, lost in an ancient world – with no adult supervision!

DEMON KNIGHTS #10 – Part two of “ASSAULT ON AVALON!” While searching for MERLIN (Adam One), our heroes find KING ARTHUR…both of him!

RAVAGERS #2 – Starring FAIRCHILD, THUNDER, LIGHTNING, RIDGE, BEAST BOY and TERRA! Trying to hide in the “real world” while on the run from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and its agents proves difficult for teen metas who stand out in a crowd! If they’re going to survive, these young heroes had better be ready to fight!

For the week of 6/27

VOODOO #10 – “DEAD CITY” begins as PRIS and the BLACK RAZORS pursue VOODOO into outer space! Is the Dead City really dead? If so, how do you explain the mutated DAEMONITES attacking from every direction?

TEEN TITANS #10 – THE TEEN TITANS LOST in an inner-world! What did SOLSTICE learn from the LEGION LOST team during THE CULLING? Hint: It has to do with the mystery surrounding KID FLASH’S origin! BUNKER confronts RED ROBIN about the missing SKITTER! DINOSAURS – and a new threat!

00:57:37 – Joe continues with a shout out to Chris Striker, of the Higher Authority and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the DCU "The Culling" crossover of Teen Titans Annual #1, Superboy #9, Legion Lost #9 and Teen Titans #9 as well as the spin-off ...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the DCU "The Culling" crossover of Teen Titans Annual #1, Superboy #9, Legion Lost #9 and Teen Titans #9 as well as the spin-off from the Culling crossover and the only new title from the new DCU 52 Ravagers #1.<br />
<br />
Ben welcomes everyone to episode #34 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:00:06Ravagers #2http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/06/ravagers-2/
Fri, 15 Jun 2012 05:10:40 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2227Continue reading →]]>“Shadows of the Past”

Ravagers continues to be one of more colorful offerings from the New 52’s second wave. It’s mix of old, new, and slightly-altered characters makes for something fresh and unique. That topped with gorgeous by Ian Churchill has quickly made it one of my favorite books to read these last two months.

One strength this title has had so far is Mackie is in no hurry to get this team together. In fact, one could argue that he’s doing his best to tear this team apart before it has even begun. After what these kids have been through, they are not eager to follow Fairchild’s lead. It’s funny how this version of Fairchild is in a role-reversal. You see, in the WSU Fairchild was part of Gen13: a group of teens on the run from an evil organization and their mentor was John Lynch (soon to be introduced in the DCU with the new Team 7 book this Fall!) Gen 13 had to earn Lynch’s trust. Here in the New 52, Fairchild has assumed a role similar to Lynch in that she is helping this group of teens escape an evil organization and they don’t automatically trust her either. I’d love to know if Mackie did this juxtaposition on purpose or not because if not, it’s a huge coincidence!

After what the villain Harvest put these kids through and Fairchild’s hand in the ordeal, it makes more sense that they would not simply choose to follow her right away. The situations they’ve been put in so far are forcing them to work together just to survive. This leads to some back-stabbing here in this issue. But the funny thing is, regardless of the betrayal, the group still worked it out. That made for some great story-telling here.

Also have to say I’m liking the villains that Churchill is churning out here. The main villain of the piece is Shadow Walker and he’s very creepy indeed. But check out the character called Keeper who looks like something out of the movie Total Recall. I was also surprised to see that two of the kids survived last issue after it appeared they had been killed. But the way they were taken down was still pretty brutal. It’s nice to have villains that are actually a threat. I don’t even mind that Warblade is currently being portrayed as a villain.

This series continues to be a pleasant surprise and is now one of the titles I really look forward to each month. This strange amalgamation of Gen 13, Teen Titans, and some new characters is mixing up rather nicely. It’s one of the most refreshing things to come out of the DCU New 52 and I hope it’s got a permanent place in the line-up.

The second issue of Liefeld and Tieri starts off pretty weak but some interesting revelations at the end make for a much better comic. Even Clark’s art seems to be getting back to where it was before the current run started. It’s not a huge improvement but it is a step in the right direction.

After last month I was kind of dreading where this issue would take us. The first half of the comic was more of a mixed bag than the last issue. We still get some cheesy dialogue but it is sprinkled with some great action scenes. I have to say it was so cool seeing Deathblow and Grifter fighting side by side again. But as much as I liked the action, as I neared the end of the comic, I feared that might be all we get and thus would end another issue of Grifter without much direction. Thankfully, I was wrong.

Grifter’s abilities take a dramatic turn in the issue and it’s an idea I actually thought should’ve been covered with the Grifter in the old WSU. It’s hard to talk about without spoiling anything but let me say this. If you remember Grifter’s battle with Green Arrow in Grifter #4, you may remember the incident where he caught one of the arrows that was shot at him. At the time, even he mused that it would be a long time before he learned how he could do that. Other than this moment, Grifter having any abilities beyond being good with a gun had not been explored yet. I have to say I’m happy with this turn of events and I hope it signals positive change for the title.

Even Scott Clark’s art seemed to be returning to its normal awesome style. There were some weird choices in some of the shots with the line work but overall it looked better. Even the Daemonite Elite Class looked better than last issue. And I love the way he draws Cheshire! As long as Clark is drawing beautiful women I’m still on board!

I am worried a little about the next issue because I’m not impressed by the design of the new villain they’re set to fight. But I’ll reserve judgment for that until next month. It’s still by no means perfect, but I’m not as exasperated with this title as I was last month. Above all else, I’m glad Grifter survived the cut of the 3rd wave of the New 52. I hope this creative team takes this opportunity to take some chances on the title and really garner some attention to it.

Milligan’s second issue of his Stormwatch run takes a surprisingly slow turn. While we do get some interesting revelations about Stormwatch’s past, I wasn’t expecting a slow paced issue so soon in his run. Plus, as much as I liked Ignacio Calero’s art during Paul Jenkins’ short two-issue stint, I felt it wasn’t as strong in this issue.

We actually get a double-dose of Milligan’s Stormwatch in the DCU this month. Besides this issue, Stormwatch appears in Red Lanterns #10 (also written by Milligan) and acts as a continuation of the events in Stormwatch #9. Between the two issues, I actually preferred the Red Lanterns issue. But since we got two Stormwatch helpings out of the deal, I didn’t mind the slower-paced regular issue as much.

The thing about the plot to the Stormwatch issue is that I felt it was just an excuse to explore some of Stormwatch’s past. Now normally I don’t mind this because of course I’d like to know more about their past, but the main story didn’t excite me enough to warrant the information. There is a lot of set-up in the issue as we get the return of Harry Tanner ( no spoilers, it’s in the solicits). He’s definitely my favorite out of the new characters introduced in Paul Cornell’s six-issue run so I’m glad to see he’s back and look forward to what he has planned for the team.

I will say, Apollo and Midnighter do get a nice moment at the end of the issue and plotpoints from both Cornell’s and Jenkins’ run are carried forward here. So that was nice because some of the other creative teams who have taken over books seem to have disgarded what’s happened so far.

Also, I really enjoyed Ignacio Calero’s art in Jenkins’ run, but it was give and take here. It started off really strong but then seemed to lose something as the issue went on. Then I noticed that the issue had 5 inkers! Now some people may not think that makes a difference but it does. Inking styles vary just like artistic styles do and I think it threw the art off because like I said, there were some parts I liked but others just didn’t seem as good. I’m not sure if they brought so many inkers in because of deadlines, but I think it affected Calero’s art, which was a shame.

This is still my favorite of the Wildstorm titles but this was definitely one of the weakest issues so far. But I do like what I’m seeing set up here and Milligan’s already proven to me he can do a great story. I’d encourage you to read Stormwatch #9 from last month and Red Lanterns #10 to see what I mean. (all I got say about RL #10, Midnighter punches a cat!)

You know how a series sometimes begins by describing itself as “first explosive issue!” Well, Ravagers is a classic example of a comic that actual lives up to this declaration. Writer Howard Mackie and artist Ian Churchill present an amazing issue that literally explodes from the pages of The Culling crossover which just wrapped up. Being the only title in the New 52 with a name never used before, Ravagers makes its mark and proves why it’s worth of being part of DC’s second wave of titles.

If you did not follow The Culling crossover which ran through Teen Titans Annual #1 and continued through the #9 issues of Superboy, Legion Lost, and Teen Titans, you’re missing out. Most people this month were following Batman’s Night of the Owls crossover (and yes it was an amazing crossover). But I kind of wish they had done this one separately so it wouldn’t fall under people’s radar. If you didn’t read The Culling you might be a little lost but I think Mackie wrote it in such a way that even if you’re reading issue one for the first time, I think you still get this gist of what happened. But that sense of being lost actually works to the advantage of the story as our characters are trying to find their way as well.

There’s no doubt that Mackie and Churchill convey the sense of urgency as the kids scramble to figure out what to do now that they’ve escaped N.O.W.H.E.R.E.’s facility. Mackie keeps the situation real as we see some characters not survive the first issue while others don’t immediately join up and form a group. This kind of realism keeps the comic interesting because things don’t conveniently fall into place for the group. This helps keep the threat level up gives a real sense of danger for the characters.

Churhill’s art is incredible in this issue. Of course, I’m most excited to see Fairchild as part of this title since Gen 13 was one of my favorite books in the old Wildstorm U. Since she’s been in the New 52, I think only Brett Booth drew my favorite rendition of her. But Churchill gives Booth some major competition as he renders an awesome version of Fairchild. I even love his attention to detail as we see her costume sag when she’s not using her powers and then become form-fitted when she does use her powers. It’s this attention to detail that takes a book from good to great.

I could not be happier with this book. When it was first announced I was skeptical because, first off, I was hoping for a Gen 13, but secondly I had no idea what the title ‘Ravagers’ meant. But since coming through The Culling crossover and seeing how it all came together I’m really happy how it turned out. I hope everyone who’s curious about the second wave books will give this one a try. You will not be disappointed!

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #9, Voodoo #9 and Grifter #9 as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:34 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #34 for the month of June 2012 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:20 – Ben gives some Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

We will not be discussing Ravagers #1 or The Culling crossover that led into it yet, we decided to do a separate podcast for that since it turned out to be a huge story spanning many issues across four titles.

August sees another Wildstorm character enter DCU as Pike will face Hawkman in Savage Hawkman #12. Helspont also returns in Grifter #12 and Deathstroke #12 presumably has more Zealot. As well as Stormwatch gracing the cover and presumably the plot of I, Vampire #12.

The movie Red 2 is a go for August 2, 2013. It is the sequel to the 2010 movie starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman which was based on Warren’s Ellis’ mini-series of the same name originally published by Wildstorm. Willis and Mirren are expected to reprise their roles with Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Byung-Hun Lee (Storm Shadow from G.I. Joe) joining the cast as well.

Listener email: from Rick Marsen reads, “I’ve noticed sales for both Grifter and Voodoo’s books are tanking. With these two gone, the Wildstorm/DCU merger is pretty much nearly done for and Wildstorm is one step closer to ending up where it was post the “Wildstorm relaunch” a few years ago. Liefeld on Grifter isn’t going to be helping things. is there any way to help these books to survive, at least till Liefeld leaves Grifter and Voodoo gets a creative team change?”

Speaking of listeners, big shout out to all our regular listeners as we had double the amount of downloads for the month of May. Thank you guys for spreading the Wildstorm love! If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t exist!

00:07:02 – Joe reviews Stormwatch #9, released on 5/02, written by Peter Milligan with art and cover by Miguel Sepulveda. Yet another 1:25 B&W sketch variant, there have been variants since issue #5!

00:20:01 – Ben shares his thoughts for the ninth issue of Stormwatch. A great new start with writer Peter Milligan who seems to be keeping a lot of the ideas that Paul Cornell had started with this team and adding some more of his personal flare.

00:22:47 – Ben reviews Grifter #9. Released on 5/09, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Scott Clark and cover by Rob Liefeld. The first issue by Liefeld seems to have been everything we’ve all been expecting and that wasn’t a good expectation. The first appearance of Deathblow was a welcomed addition, but I’m not convinced that adding another iconic Wildstorm character to this book is going to pull it out of the mud.

00:31:23 – Joe gives his assessment on Grifter #9, and he finally agrees with Ben! Hold your breath internet, Joe is about to say some bad things about Grifter…

00:40:32 – Joe tries to move on from the train wreck of Grifter in order to review the ninth issue of Voodoo. Released on 5/23, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by Rod Reis and Paulo Siqueira. Joe’s only small complaint about this issue is the cover, that’s a pretty good review right there. Joe also gives a nice shout-out to the crew at Comic Vine for their ad in the DCU titles this week!

00:51:41 – Ben shares his thoughts on Voodoo especially with the new direction that writer Josh Williamson is taking this title. In S S P P A A A A A A C C E E E!

00:53:24 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #9’s that have released this past month.

5/02 Teen Titans Annual #1 – The Culling Part 1

5/09 Demon Knights #9 – The death of Merlin (Adam One from Stormwatch). Also Etrigan’s armour was sighted in the secret “Black Room” in the New DCU 52 Free Comic Book Day give-a-way

00:56:19 – Joe gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com.

For the week of 6/06

STORMWATCH #10 – Welcoming the art team of IGNACIO CALERO and SEAN PARSONS as a new epic begins! HARRY TANNER returns to take on STORMWATCH! More secrets of the team’s past are revealed!

RED LANTERNS #10 – Welcome new artist MIGUEL SEPULVEDA, continued from last month’s STORMWATCH #9! BLEEZ and the rest of the surviving RED LANTERNS head for ZAMARON to confront the STAR SAPPHIRES about their role in the poisoning of the RED POWER LANTERN.

For the week of 6/13

GRIFTER #10 – GRIFTER faces off against the DAEMONITES alongside DEATHBLOW and CHESHIRE!

SUPERBOY #10 – WONDER GIRL, SOLSTICE, RED ROBIN, KID FLASH and BUNKER all guest-star in a story that connects to this month’s TEEN TITANS #10. Don’t miss SUPERBOY and WONDER GIRL, lost in an ancient world – with no adult supervision!

DEMON KNIGHTS #10 – Part two of “ASSAULT ON AVALON!” While searching for MERLIN (Adam One), our heroes find KING ARTHUR…both of him!

RAVAGERS #2 – Starring FAIRCHILD, THUNDER, LIGHTNING, RIDGE, BEAST BOY and TERRA! Trying to hide in the “real world” while on the run from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and its agents proves difficult for teen metas who stand out in a crowd! If they’re going to survive, these young heroes had better be ready to fight!

For the week of 6/27

VOODOO #10 – “DEAD CITY” begins as PRIS and the BLACK RAZORS pursue VOODOO into outer space! Is the Dead City really dead? If so, how do you explain the mutated DAEMONITES attacking from every direction?

TEEN TITANS #10 – THE TEEN TITANS LOST in an inner-world! What did SOLSTICE learn from the LEGION LOST team during THE CULLING? Hint: It has to do with the mystery surrounding KID FLASH’S origin! BUNKER confronts RED ROBIN about the missing SKITTER! DINOSAURS – and a new threat!

00:56:52 – Joe continues with a shout out to Chris Striker, of the Higher Authority and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Also big thanks to Chiclo, Sean, Jonesy, and Elveen from Only the Valiant Podcast for pimping our Helspont commercial from our show!

00:58:13 – Joe gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #9, Voodoo #9 and Grifter #9 for the month of June as well as some other Wildstorm appearances...Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #9, Voodoo #9 and Grifter #9 for the month of June as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.<br />
<br />
Ben welcomes everyone to episode #34 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:00:04Voodoo #9http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2012/05/voodoo-9/
Thu, 24 May 2012 05:22:19 +0000http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/?p=2167Continue reading →]]>“It’s a Twin Thing”

This issue has Voodoo turning from her espionage tone and starts transitioning into the realm of sci-fi. This is a bold move for the creative team but thankfully the subject matter lends itself to this type of story without feeling forced.

I am in love with Sami Basri’s art! From the opening pages of this issue he continues to draw a beautiful rendition of Voodoo. On top of that, he gets to draw one of Wildstorm’s most notorious villains. (Minor Spoilers) It was such a pleasant surprise to see Helspont in this issue and Basri captures him perfectly. Seeing him draw Voodoo and Helspont really makes me want Basri on a Wildcats title if they ever launch one. But this brings me back to my one complaint about this series and that’s the covers of the latest issues. The covers are so generic and don’t do justice to what’s in the issues. Helspont should have been on the cover of this issue. DC did well to introduce him in Superman so he should be on the cover of any issue he’s in so they can continue to promote him.

As far as the story goes, it was a solid read. Although, I will say I think Williamson finally slowed down and took a breath in this issue as we don’t have any significant cliffhangers. Thankfully, it’s not like an M. Knight Shyamalan movie where you expect some sort twist. There is a lot of set-up in the issue but it’s done well because I’m really curious to learn more. Williamson continues to expand the influence of the Daemonites in the DCU and I think it’s appropriate that we’re heading into space next. I know DC characters are no strangers when it comes to going into space.

Williamson and Basri also seem to work really well together. There are some great panels juxtaposed with each other throughout the book that really give Voodoo a sense of the split between the clone and the original. Work like this just shows that this creative team has got some great teamwork going on and I think it shows in the quality of this comic right now.

The evolution of this character gets more interesting with each passing issue. I can tell Williamson is having with this title and that his collaboration with Basri is turning out to be very successful. If people would just give this title a try (or return to it), that would make their success complete.

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #8, Voodoo #8 and Grifter #8. But wait there’s more! We also review Superboy #8, and the Helspont appearance in Superman #7 & 8, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:33 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #33 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:07 – Joe gives some Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

Zealot to appear in Deathstroke, but not in Grifter!

Team 7 references dropped in two different titles this month. One in Justice League #8 where it mentions Steve Trevor (Wonder Woman’s on again off again love interest) was in Team 7. Also in Teen Titans #8 Agent Kurt Lance (Black Canary’s supposedly murdered husband) is shown to be alive and he mentions he was also part of Team 7.

Free Comic Book Day! How was it for you?

00:05:17 – Ben jumps right into the review of Stormwatch #8. Released released on 4/04, written by Paul Jenkins with art by Daniel Horn and Ignacio Calero and cover by Miguel Sepulveda. He pleads the fifth on thinking he understood any of the science fictiony mojo Paul was trying to make us swallow. And, yes, there is always a magic gun to explain away the icky sticky details for the “how” part of it.

00:18:36 – Joe follows up on his thoughts for the eighth issue of Stormwatch. He starts by working out the issue backwards. The internet wasn’t too receptive of how the Midnighter treated Jenny and Joe tries to explain the differences between the new DCU characters vs. the old Wildstorm characters (we seem to keep running into this problem).

00:26:52 – Joe reviews Grifter #8. Released on 4/11, written by Nathan Edmondson, with art by Daniel Sampere and cover by Scott Clark. This was Edmondson’s last issue on the title before Liefeld takes it over. Joe enjoyed this issue, can you believe it?

00:35:01 – Ben gives his assessment on Grifter #8….groan, grumble, grumble, groan. How is this title still making the cuts?!?! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE GRIFTER (the character), but this is not the title we were pitched way back in our interview last August. The most wanted man in the DCU? Maybe only by the new version of the Daemonites, but not by the heroes of this universe, as I believe was the intention.

00:39:46 – Ben reviews the eighth issue of the bat-sh#+! crazy alien Voodoo. Released on 4/25, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by Rod Reis and Paulo Siqueira. Ben thought the cover reminded him of the old Rat Fink cartoons if that was any consolation to John Tyler Christopher being pulled off of the covers.

00:58:35 – Joe gives his thoughts on Voodoo, which are very short and sweet. He did give a big shout out to Sami Basri who is one of the few artists in the new DCU, next to Brett Booth, who is very consistent on a single title.

00:59:32 – Joe gives a beat by beat review of Superboy #8. Released on 4/11, written by Scott Lobdell & Tom DeFalco with art by R.B. Silva and cover by Barbara Ciardo. (The Culling prelude) Joe equates the Culling to the Hungers Games type of young super-powered beings pitted against one another in order to be culled for the harvest by a baddie known as Harvest!

01:04:31 – Ben gives his assessment on Superboy #8, which reminded him more of Countdown Arena series from the 52 Countdown event since having just read this series.

01:06:09 – Ben reviews the issues #7 and 8 of Superman. Released on 3/28 and 4/25, written by Keith Giffen with art by Dan Jurgens and cover by Ivan Reis. The main concept is that Helspont believes he and Superman are the same and that he should be ruling humans not protecting them. The Daemonites cast Helspont out because of his powers and Supes is basically thinking he’s crazy (Thanks for the recap of issue #7 Joe!). Issue #8, Helspont wants Superman to help him take control of this universe and in turn will give Superman earth for himself and leave him and humanity alone. These issues contained a ton of fighting and possibly even more talking.

0114:39 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #8’s that have released last month.

4/11 Legion Lost #8 – The Culling prelude

4/18 Justice League #8 – Steve Trevor was part of Team 7

4/25 Teen Titans #8 – The Culling prelude

4/25 Blackhawks #8 – Agent Lance was part of Team 7

01:15:00 -Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1 “THE CULLING” begins here! It’s the TEEN TITANS vs. THE LEGION LOST one mile beneath the Antarctic in the chamber of horrors known as the Crucible! Continued in this month’s SUPERBOY #9, LEGION LOST #9 and TEEN TITANS #9! Secret first appearance of Warblade!

For the week of 5/09

GRIFTER #9 Welcoming the new creative team of ROB LIEFELD, FRANK TIERI and SCOTT CLARK. Grifter’s troubles worsen as he races to stop the impending DAEMONITE invasion. Featuring the first appearances of DEATHBLOW and CHESHIRE in The New 52!

DEMON KNIGHTS #9 “THE MURDER OF MERLIN” begins! Who has the power to murder Merlin – and what else are they capable of?

LEGION LOST #9 “THE CULLING” continues from this month’s SUPERBOY #9! Even the combined powers of LEGION LOST and the TEEN TITANS won’t be enough to stop DARK HARVEST and his minions from committing mass murder! Continues in this month’s TEEN TITANS #9.

For the week of 5/23

VOODOO #9 A new direction for VOODOO starts now! Pris is forced to confront exactly what she has become after being experimented on by the DAEMONITES. Compelled to search for other victims like her, she’s offered a deal by the BLACK RAZORS…but wherever way she turns, it’s guaranteed more blood will be on her hands.

TEEN TITANS #9 “THE CULLING” finale! THE TEEN TITANS and THE LEGION LOST duke it out with N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and the madman known as Harvest to stop the slaughter ofinnocent children. This issue leads directly into this month’s RAVAGERS #1! Continued from TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1 SUPERBOY #9 and LEGION LOST #9!

For the week of 5/30

THE RAVAGERS #1 First issue of a new series spinning directly out of “THE CULLING!” FAIRCHILD, brother and sister THUNDER and LIGHTNING, the monstrous RIDGE, BEAST BOY and TERRA are being pursued by ROSE WILSON and WARBLADE, who want them dead at any cost! No one’s survival is certain each month in THE RAVAGERS!

01:17:46 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. DC Wormhole podcast episode 7 is out at culturalwormhole.com and they’re covering several of the new 52 books.

01:18:27 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

]]>Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #8, Voodoo #8 and Grifter #8. But wait there's more! We also review Superboy #8,Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #8, Voodoo #8 and Grifter #8.<br />
But wait there's more! We also review Superboy #8, and the Helspont appearance in Superman #7 & 8, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.<br />
<br />
Joe welcomes everyone to episode #33 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. Continue reading → Joe David Soliz and Benjamin Murphyclean1:20:43